SSU men put four in double-figures in 86-74 victory over Alice Lloyd (Ky.)
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Shawnee State (17-6, 11-2) | 44 | 42 | 86 |
|
Alice Lloyd (KY) (11-12, 3-10) | 24 | 50 | 74 |
The men's basketball program at Shawnee State, led by a standout 26-point outing from senior forward Keith Germain, put four players in double-figures and shot 54.5 percent from the field as a team as the Bears notched an 86-74 victory over the Alice Lloyd Eagles' men's basketball program Tuesday evening in Pippa Passes, Ky.
Shawnee State (17-6, 11-2 RSC) trailed for just nine seconds and led throughout the contest's final 34:38 en route to the 12-point victory, which was arguably more convincing than the final score indicated.
The Bears shot 30-of-55 from the field, 6-of-18 (33.3 percent) from deep and 20-of-25 (80 percent) from the foul line, posted a season-high 25 assists on its 30 made baskets, and dominated the glass, notching a plus-21 rebounding advantage (45-24) en route to taking a 25-point lead in the second half (60-35) with 13:49 to play in the contest before cruising home to the win.
Defensively, Alice Lloyd's two leading scorers -- Jared Strickland and Ben Soumahoro -- were held to just 11 and six points respectively, which were totals that were six and nine points below their season scoring averages. Freshman forward Jackson Tackett, who had averaged 15.3 points per game over his last three contests, was held scoreless by the SSU defense in the victory.
Germain dominates
From the contest's outset, Alice Lloyd had no answer for Keith Germain on the interior.
The 6-5 forward from Fort Lauderdale, Fla. posted one of his most physically imposing performances of the year -- both through the eye test as well as on the stat sheet -- in a dominating performance that kicked off when Germain scored 10 of Shawnee State's final 20 points in the opening half of competition, helping SSU turn a modest 24-16 lead into a commanding 44-24 halftime advantage behind his game-high 14 points at the half. Then, over a 3:14 span in the second half of action, Germain scored eight of Shawnee State's 10 points to hold off a late Alice Lloyd rally -- and keep the Eagles from getting any closer than 11 points from the lead throughout the second half of play.
Germain ultimately finished with his game-high 26 points on 9-of-13 shooting from the field and an 8-of-10 mark from the free throw line, and added in five rebounds and three blocks to boot in the 12-point win.
For the season, Germain is averaging 17.2 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.7 blocks while shooting 62.8 percent from the field.
Beard, Johnson showcase poise, upperclassmen savvy
Showcasing their veteran leadership throughout the course of the contest, Shawnee State guards Tre Beard and Tyreke Johnson were terrific in multiple facets.
Beard, who played a game-high 34 minutes, scored 11 of his 16 points in the second half and was again proficient in not only his shooting (4-of-8 from field, 3-of-6 from three-point range, 5-of-6 from free throw line) but his ballhandling (three assists for the contest and only one turnover in each half). The Chillicothe talent grabbed three rebounds to boot.
As for Johnson, the native of Woodstock, Ga. found other ways to get involved with his shot not falling. Playing in 32 minutes himself, Johnson notched five rebounds and five assists in both halves to finish with a 10-rebound, 10-assist, seven-point statline.
Johnson is averaging 15.2 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.2 assists on 48.3 percent shooting for the year, while Beard is averaging 10.2 points per game on 46.3 percent shooting from the floor and 46.6 percent shooting from three-point range.
Belton shows off improving game
Having grown gradually into a larger role, Shawnee State junior forward AJ Belton was impressive throughout his time on the floor, both offensively and defensively.
Playing perhaps his best game of the year, Belton played an efficient and gritty brand of basketball throughout his 22 minutes on the floor, posting eight points and five rebounds on a perfect 4-of-4 shooting in the second half alone. The Indianapolis, Ind. native ultimately finished with 10 points, five rebounds and a steal on 5-of-6 shooting in what was his third consecutive start.
Additional
Chaze Harris posted a terrific first half by notching nine of his 11 points in the opening half of action to finish with 11 points, five rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocks on 5-of-6 shooting, while Tony Webb, Jr. was active in his 11 minutes off of the bench, adding in eight points and three rebounds on 4-of-8 shooting in 11 minutes of game time.
Shawnee State will turn its attention to a Saturday afternoon matchup against No. 22 Point Park (Pa.) in another critical River States Conference contest -- with the winner gaining control of the River States Conference's East Division lead. Game time is set for 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 10.
Shawnee State, as mentioned, enters the contest with a 17-6 overall record and an 11-2 River States Conference mark while Point Park, who defeated Rio Grande by a 75-59 count, enters Saturday's affair with a 22-2 overall mark and an identical 11-2 record in River States Conference action. The Bears lost to the Pioneers by just three, 83-80, on Dec. 2 in Pittsburgh, Pa.
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