Sheldon Pace made the game winning layup as time expired to beat ESU, 76-74.

[box vs. ESU] [pics vs. ESU]

BOLIVAR, MO. ... Sheldon Pace drove the length of the court and finished with a rolling layup as #4 Southwest Baptist University took a last second victory over Emporia State.  ESU tied the game with 00:05 left at 74 on a Tyrell Sledge layup.

With under a minute to go, Jim Grabowski connected on a three-pointer to pull SBU within one of ESU, 72-71.  Then, with just 00:15 left in the game, Jason Jemison nailed his second three-pointer of the game to put SBU up by two, 74-72.  ESU's Tyrell Sledge drove the lane to hit the game tying layup with 00:05 left when Pace took over and finished off the Hornets with the game winning layup. 

"Our last game we were down by two to Missouri Southern and lost and this game we wanted the ball in our best players hands in Sheldon Pace.  This time we put the ball in his hands so he could make a play.  He is our senior and our captain and the decision was made that he was going to get the ball and go," says head coach Jeff Guiot. "Everybody in this conference is good.  I will take all the 2-point victories I can get.  Anything can happen on any night in the MIAA.  We have been very fortunate to win in our games.  There were several games that could have went either way.  We just thank the Lord that He has allowed us to win."

Colt Blair led SBU with 18 points.

Freshman Colt Blair led the Bearcats with a career-high 18 points as he was 5-of-8 from three-point land.  Grabowski and Frans Steyn each had 13 points while Pace came away with 11 assists.  Jesus Lopez grabbed eight rebounds for SBU.  Both Sledge and Leroy Dawson had 25 points for ESU.

SBU started the second half on a 10-2 run in the first three minutes for a 12-point lead, 46-33.  The Bearcats shot 57% in the second half as they were 15-of-26 from the floor.

Over the next 12 minutes ESU out scored SBU, 28-13, to take a two point lead, 59-57.  The lead was the first for ESU since the 15:23 mark in the first half, 11-8.  SBU responded with an 8-0 run to regain an five-point lead, 67-62.  In the next two minutes ESU came back with a 10-1 run and a four-point lead, 72-68, with 1:07 to play.  ESU did not score again until Sledge tied the game with 00:05 left.

Over 2,000 fans packed the Meyer Sports Center for the win over Emporia State

SBU's Sheldon Pace says, "I want to be the person with the opportunity to win the game.  This win was big for us coming off the loss to Missouri Southern.  We still need to get better though."

The Hornets kept the lead for the first five minutes of the first half until Blair tied the game at 11 at the 15:17 mark.  Pace gave SBU the lead on a layup with 14:40 to go that sparked a 17-7 run to give SBU a 10-point lead in the next seven minutes.  ESU did bring the lead down to four, 35-31, just before the half but Jesus Lopez hit a free throw to make it 36-31 as they entered the locker room.

The win gives SBU sole possession of first place in the MIAA as Central Missouri State defeated NW Missouri State in Maryville.  SBU now has an 18-2 overall record and stays one game ahead of CMSU and NWMSU in the MIAA with an 7-2 record.

Shooting 49% in the game, SBU only shot 37% from three-point land and 63% from the free throw line.  ESU finished shooting 38% from the floor and 34% from beyond the arc.  SBU also out rebounded ESU, 39-32. 

The Bearcats will now go on a two-game road trip as they travel to Joplin, Missouri, to face Missouri Southern on Wednesday, February 1, and then to St. Joseph, Missouri, on Saturday, February 4 against Missouri Western.

The SBU students cheered on SBU to victory.

Notes: This is the first time that SBU sweeps ESU in a season...This is the first three-game winning streak vs. ESU since four straight wins from the 1991-92 through the 1994-95 season...ESU is #7 in the South Central Region...Jesus Lopez has career-high 8 rebounds...This is the 6th time this season that Sheldon Pace has had over 10 assists in a game...It is the 2nd time in Pace's career that he has hit the game winning shot as he nailed a jumper with 00:03 left to defeat Truman State...For 2nd time this season Colt Blair hits five 3-pointer in one game...Frans Steyn has now had two or more blocks in 12 games this season....11 assists for Pace now gives him 352 career assists at SBU...Pace needs just 27 more assists to break SBU single season record for assists...Frans Steyn has 42 blocks and puts him in 6th all-time in SBU history...Steyn needs just two more blocks to move into fifth and six more to move into fourth all-time.