SSU MBB shoots 58.7 percent from field, 55.6 percent from three in thrilling 79-74 victory over Lourdes

PORTSMOUTH, Ohio -- Throughout his time as a head coach at Shawnee State, Michael Hunter's teams have cooked from the field by taking high percentage shots within the confines of the offense.

The men's basketball program at Shawnee State did just that in a nonconference contest Monday evening as Shawnee State posted 14 assists on 27 made baskets and shot 58.7 percent from the floor and went 55.6 percent, leading to four double-figure scoring outputs in a thrilling 79-74 victory over the Lourdes Gray Wolves' men's basketball program at Waller Gymnasium in Portsmouth.

Game Rundown

The contest, which featured high-quality play and officiating throughout much of the 40-minute affair, proved to be a battle of wits on both sides as neither team gave up much in the way of production.

Shawnee State's blistering first half shooting -- which saw the Bears shoot over 60 percent from the field over the contest's first 15-and-a-half minutes -- allowed the Bears to take as large as a 20-point lead, 34-14, with 4:38 to play in the opening half of competition.

Undeterred, Lourdes closed the first half deficit to 38-24, then proceeded to go on a 34-14 run of its own to begin the second half en route to taking a 58-52 lead -- shooting 62.5 percent from the field in the second half in the process to take the six-point edge.

Like a prized fighter, however, the Bears countered -- by shooting a blistering 13-of-19 from the field in the second frame to go a stout 68.4 percent in that area.

Down six during two separate times late in the second half, Shawnee State rallied to tie the score at 58 on back-to-back three-pointers from Tre Beard and Marcos Vazquez at near identical spots on the right wing of the floor.

Then, down 70-64 with 4:49 remaining, the Bears (5-7) put the clamps on the Gray Wolves (10-4) defensively -- as Shawnee State closed out the affair by going on a 15-3 run during that stretch while only allowing one field goal during that stretch. Shawnee State held Lourdes to a 2-of-7 mark from the field and forced two turnovers over that span, with Ezra McKee's rip and hammer with eight seconds left sealing the home win.

Beard keeps high-quality production rolling

Electric as ever, Shawnee State senior guard Tre Beard didn't disappoint once again as the senior guard continued rolling right into a terrific effort.

Within the contest's first 6:45, Beard posted three points, two assists and a steal to lead the Bears as Shawnee State jumped out to a 14-4 lead during that span.

Beard then proceeded to show off his shot-making abilities and slick manuvering on various drives en route to another classic statline that featured a 21-point effort on 6-of-7 shooting from the field, a 3-of-4 mark from three-point range and a 6-of-6 clip from the free throw line. The 5-10 senior scored 11 points on just three shots in the second half as Beard went 3-of-3 from the floor and 4-of-4 from the charity stripe, all while adding three assists, two steals and two rebounds to his 21-point line.

For the season, Beard is averaging 19.5 points, four rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.4 steals per game on 50 percent shooting from the field, a 48.8 percent shooting mark from three-point range and a 91.9 percent clip from the free throw line.

Ez-E smooth as can be

In his third career contest and first career start with Shawnee State, 6-7 sophomore forward Ezra McKee played with a high level of aggressiveness and enthusiasm throughout, ultimately resulting in a fantastic statline for the junior from Wooster, Ohio.

A tough cover due to his length and his fluidity, McKee showcased those pieces to his game while playing with an added edge. Enjoying a nine-point, four-rebound, one-block outing on 4-of-7 shooting to begin the contest, the talented wing upped his game further in the second half, posting 11 points, six rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block on a 4-of-6 showing. McKee finished with his first career double-double as a result, going off for 20 points, 10 rebounds, two assists and two blocks on 8-of-13 shooting from the floor.

The talented wing ultimately scored or assisted on 11 of Shawnee State's final 22 points to end the game, including the game sealing strip and dunk that sealed the six-point win for Shawnee State.

Through his first three games with the Bears, McKee is averaging 12.3 points and 5.3 rebounds on 64 percent shooting, a 50 percent mark from three-point range and a 75 percent output from the free throw line.

Ramirez, Vazquez add own scoring punches

Adding a great deal to the floor with their veteran presences throughout, Elkin Ramirez and Marcos Vazquez each contributed in key pockets throughout the contest.

Ramirez, who finished with 10 points on 3-of-6 shooting from the field, hit two critical first half threes to help Shawnee State extend its lead to as much as 20 points, while Vazquez, who posted three assists in the opening half, scored 10 key second half points on excellent efficiency, going 3-of-3 from the field, 2-of-2 from three-point range and 2-of-3 from the free throw line in the second half. Vazquez ultimately posted 12 points, four rebounds and a steal while going 4-of-4 from the floor for the game.

Additional

AJ Belton, who posted nine points, three rebounds and three assists, enjoyed a well-rounded game while Donovan Lovelace and Feisal Crumby, III combined for six rebounds and five points off of the bench. Jesse Dixon added in the final pair of points for Shawnee State.

Shawnee State returns to action New Year's Eve (Tuesday, Dec. 31) when the Bears take on Ohio Christian in a 6 p.m. contest that will be held at the Maxwell Center in Circleville.