Harris, Germain combine for 46 points, 17 rebounds, nine assists, seven blocks in SSU MBB's 88-67 victory over Wilberforce
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Shawnee State (13-5) | 41 | 47 | 88 |
|
Wilberforce (OH) (6-16) | 37 | 30 | 67 |
Winning in hostile environments on the road can be quite difficult.
However, Shawnee State sophomore Chaze Harris and Shawnee State senior Keith Germain have made the difficult look rather routine on many occasions.
In a Monday evening nonconference bout against the Wilberforce Bulldogs' men's basketball program, the pair were at it again -- as Harris and Germain combined for 46 points, 17 rebounds, nine assists and seven blocks on 18-of-25 shooting from the field to lift Shawnee State to an 88-67 victory over Wilberforce at Gaston Lewis Arena.
Shawnee State, who shot 33-of-62 from the field (53.2 percent), held Wilberforce to just 23-of-70 shooting (32.9 percent) and obtained a plus-10 advantage (43-33) on the glass in the contest.
Harris, Germain take over matters in winning time
The Bears were down by a 53-52 margin to Wilberforce with 12:58 to play in the nonconference affair between the two opponents, but at that point, Harris and Germain proceeded to take over matters.
The duo combined to score 25 points in a 34-7 run that ultimately turned the one-possession contest into as much as a 26-point second half lead, 86-60, with 2:12 to play -- as Shawnee State completely changed the complexion of the game in a 10-minute, 46-second span.
Harris, who again stayed on the throttle throughout the contest, had 12 points, four rebounds, and four assists to just two turnovers at the halftime break -- but really turned up the dial in the second half as the 6-5 wing posted 14 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two blocks while shooting 6-of-9 from the floor.
From the 13:22 to 10:13 marks of the second half, Harris scored nine consecutive points to help begin the aforementioned spurt -- not only helping keep Shawnee State right in the middle of the fight but giving the Bears a 59-55 lead at the 10:13 mark of the contest after Wilberforce battled back from a 50-45 deficit to take the previously mentioned 53-52 lead.
Germain, meanwhile, simply wore Wilberforce down with his physicality and his ability to finish at the rim.
The 6-5 senior forward from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., who had four points and three blocks at the half on just one shot attempt, which was a make, went off in the second half with 16 points, four rebounds, and two blocks on 7-of-7 shooting from the field. Germain scored eight of Shawnee State's last 12 points in the second half of competition on a flurry of finishes right at the rim, either via two-handed punches or through contact.
Additionally, Germain went 4-of-5 from the line -- helping Shawnee State finish 8-of-11 from the free throw line to boot in the contest.
For the season, Harris is averaging 24.6 points, seven rebounds, 4.6 assists, 2.6 steals and 1.4 blocks per game on 63.1 percent shooting, while Germain is averaging 17.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game on 61.4 percent shooting from the floor.
Beard, Lumsden showcase veteran reliability
Always consistent in their efforts no matter what their roles have been from game-to-game, Tre Beard and J.R. Lumsden were two key pieces alongside Harris and Germain as Shawnee State went on its game-closing 34-7 run.
While Beard's three-point shot wasn't falling at the essentially distingushed rate that he had been shooting it at throughout the year, Beard's ballhanding poise helped Shawnee State greatly as the Bears were able to break various pressure looks, and the junior guard matched Harris for the team-high in steals.
Beard ultimately went 3-for-5 from inside the three-point line and a perfect 3-for-3 from the free throw line to finish with 12 points, notching eight in the opening half alone. The 5-10 guard is averaging 10.6 points per game on shooting splits of 47.1 percent from the field, 48.6 percent from three-point range and 86.4 percent from the charity stripe.
Lumsden, meanwhile, played a team-high 29 minutes off of the bench as his defensive intangibles made the 6-5 junior forward an invaluable piece to SSU's winning cause Monday evening. Lumsden shot 4-of-5 from the field en route to adding in eight points and matched Tyreke Johnson with three assists to match Johnson for second place on the squad in assists in the 21-point triumph. Lumsden, Harris, and Johnson combined for 13 of Shawnee State's 15 assists, helping the Bears tremendously en route to their 34 makes in the victory.
Additional
Shawnee State (13-5) won its sixth game in a row and claimed its ninth victory over its last 10 contests dating back to Dec. 5. The Bears will focus on River States Conference action the rest of the way as the Bears face Indiana-Kokomo Thursday evening. The men's basketball program caps off the RSC doubleheader with a 7:30 p.m. tipoff with the men beginning the proceedings.
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