Box

December 20, 2003

#14 Jarrett Brown was the leading scorer with 15 points.

Bolivar, Mo. ...A 14-0 run in the second half led to the loss for the Southwest Baptist University Bearcats (3-6) as Evangel University (4-4) pulled away for the victory, 77-63. SBU cut the lead to one-point, 49-48, with 10:16 left in the game when the Crusaders went on their run to take a commanding 15-point lead, 63-48, at the 6:10 mark.

Jarrett Brown led the Bearcats with 15 points while David Coutchie added 12 and Cedric Ousley 10. Chris Schulze led in rebounding with 11. In his first game back, Arthur Trousdell recorded eight points and five rebounds. Grant Curtis led all scorers with 23 for Evangel.

In the first three minutes of the game, the Bearcats hurried out to a four-point lead, 8-4, on three-pointers by Brown and Ousley with the opening bucket by Schulze. Over the next minute, EU caught up with SBU to take their first lead, 9-8, at the 16:17 mark. There would be three more ties in the next three minutes before Evangel slowly slipped away with the lead. SBU took their last lead of two, 18-16, with 12:26 remaing in the half as EU went on a 12-2 run in five minutes for eight point lead, 28-20. A fast break dunk by Trousdell cut the lead to four, 30-26, with just under four minutes left, but EU rallied to push the lead to 10 in three minutes. Coutchie nailed a shot with 00:25 left in the half to bring the halftime score to 36-28, Evangel.

The second half brought both excitement and disappointment for SBU. Evangel ran the lead to 10 in the first five minutes, 41-31, only to see their lead cut to four over the next two minutes, 47-43, on a Marcus Jackson shot. EU got two free throws for a six-point lead and then SBU trimmed the lead to one, 49-48, on two Trousdell free throws and an Ousely three-pointer. As the excitement picked up for SBU, EU put the fire out by slowly taking the lead back. SBU went belly-up over the next five minutes as they did not score. They missed five buckets and two free throws as Evangel slipped ran their lead to 15 and then extended it to 17, 67-50, at the 4:54 mark. SBU never got the lead back to single digits as EU went on for the 14-point win.

SBU shot a dismal 28% from the three-point line and only 45% from the free throw line. EU took advantage from the free throw line as they went 16-20 (805). EU shot 47% from the floor and 40% from three-point range. SBU did out rebound EU, 37-34.

The Bearcats will open MIAA play on Tuesday, December 30th as they take on nationally ranked NW Missouri State in Maryville at 7:30 p.m.