SSU MBB claws way back from 19-point deficit before falling just shy to SMWC, 80-77
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
St. Mary-Woods (15-5, 9-1) | 43 | 37 | 80 |
|
Shawnee State (14-6, 8-2) | 30 | 47 | 77 |
Trailing by a 66-47 deficit with 11:59 remaining in the second half of competition, the men's basketball program at Shawnee State made another furious second half rally as the Bears, in just 11 minutes, cut the 18-point deficit down to a single possession.
However, after cutting a once sizeable Saint Mary-of-the-Woods lead down to just 78-77 -- and looking poised to make the Pomeroys another victim -- SMWC was able to close out the game as a pair of free throws by Saint Mary-of-the-Woods' Chaz Birchfield and a block by SMWC's Cobie Barnes at the buzzer forced SSU to settle for an 80-77 defeat in a River States Conference contest between two heavyweights Saturday evening at Waller Gymnasium.
Despite being held to shooting standards lower than their averages coming in at 45.6 percent from the field (31-of-68) and and 23.1 percent (3-of-13) from three-point range, Michael Hunter's group gave itself a chance to win through gritty play as the Bears notched 14 assists on their 31 made shots, committed just 12 turnovers and went 12-of-14 from the free throw line (85.7 percent) to boot in the scant three-point defeat.
Germain dominates
Continuing to rise to and beyond the level of competition that the senior has gone up against, Shawnee State senior forward Keith Germain was terrific throughout Saturday's contest as the senior arguably kept the Bears right in the thick of the battle throughout the course of the contest with his 25-point, 12-rebound effort.
Even though Saint Mary-of-the-Woods scored 15 of the contest's first 19 points, Germain helped play damage control as the springy 6-5 talent simply outmuscled his competition inside and showcased low-post savvy in scoring on an array of moves from baby hooks to muscle finishes inside as well as various jumpers from 12 to 15 feet out.
Germain ultimately scored seven of Shawnee State's first nine points to begin the first half and notched seven of SSU's final 13 points in the opening half to end it, notching 13 points, six rebounds and two blocks on 4-of-7 shooting from the floor and a 5-of-6 mark from the free throw line. The senior then scored eight of Shawnee State's first 13 points to begin the second half of play en route to a 12-point, six-rebound half on 6-of-8 shooting.
Saturday's effort marked Germain's fifth double-double effort of the season as well as his ninth 20-point-plus outing of the year. Germain has scored 20 or more points in four out of his last seven contests.
Harris, Johnson add in excellent second halves
Stymied in the first half by either early foul trouble -- in Chaze Harris' case -- and minor shooting woes -- in Tyreke Johnson's case, both talents overcame those setbacks en route to playing strong second halves Saturday evening.
Harris, who played just three minutes in the first half before picking up two quick fouls, was terrific in the second half as the 6-5 sophomore went off for 14 points, seven rebounds and seven assists on 7-of-11 shooting. He scored Shawnee State's last four points on driving layups that brought the Bears within 77-75 with 15 seconds left and 78-77 with three seconds to go in the contest.
As for Johnson, the 6-6 junior from Woodstock, Ga. was again rock solid -- as after going 1-of-4 in the first half, Johnson recovered by going a strong 4-of-8 from the field and 6-of-6 from the free throw line in the second half. He scored five straight points himself over a 55-second span to bring Shawnee State within 76-73 with 37 seconds left to play in the game, and finished with 16 points and six rebounds in the contest.
Additional
Shawnee State (14-6, 8-2 River States Conference) will return to action Tuesday evening at 7:30 p.m. for what will be a home matchup against West Virginia Tech (15-4, 8-2 RSC).
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