SBU MEN'S BASKETBALL - Three-Point Shooting Lifts SBU Over Harding

StrONG THREE-POINT SHOOTING LIFTS SBU OVER HARDING

December 11, 2004

BOLIVAR, MO. … Shooting 59% from beyond the arc in the second half, the Southwest Baptist University Bearcats (5-3) took a 100-77 win over Harding University (4-3). SBU went on a 27-5 run over a seven minute period in the second half after HU took a two-point lead, 58-56.

Six SBU players were in double figures with Sheldon Pace canning 15 points. He was one assist shy of a double-double with nine assists. Martez Young added 14 points while Danny Norman and Michael Johnson had 13 points. David Martin and Deon Davis recorded 11 points. Johnson was the leading rebounder wtih eight. HU's Matt Hall lead all scorers with 30 points.

In the first five minutes of the game, HU was all over SBU with a seven point lead, 12-5. SBU had a 14-7 run to tie the game at 19 (10:15) before HU scored the next four points to regain the lead. The Bearcats added an 8-0 run in a minute and a half for a four-point lead, 27-23. They kept a short lead until HU tied the game at 29 and then HU ran out to three-point lead, 34-31, with 3:59 left in the half. A three-pointer by Danny Norman tied the game at 34 and SBU did not relinquish the lead the rest of the half. SBU ran the lead to seven, 43-36, and then took a five-point lead into the locker room.

Running out to a 10-point lead in the first two minutes of the second half, it looked as if SBU would run away with the game. HU put an end to that as they garnered a 12-0 run in four minutes for a two-point lead, 58-56. Just as it looked as if HU was going to take the momentum, the Bison bench was slapped with a technical foul. SBU's Sheldon Pace hit one of the two free throws to cut the lead to one and then 45-seconds later Martez Young one of SBU's 13 three-pointers in the second half for a two-point lead, 60-58. That three-pointer was a big spark in SBU's 27-5 run that started with the technical foul. In that run, SBU had five three-pointers and a slam dunk by Young. Young ended up with eight of the 27 points in that run.

After racing out to the 20-point lead, 83-63, HU did cut the lead to 19, twice, but could not get any closer than that.

SBU shot 43% from the floor and 41% from three-point line. They only shot 23% from three-point range in the first half and then unloaded with a 13-22 showing in the second half for 59%. HU finished by hitting 49% of their shots, 60% in the second half, and were 42% from beyond the arc. The Bearcats also out rebounded HU, 41-36.

SBU will host Central Bible College at 8 p.m. on Monday, December 13.

Coach Guiot Quotes:

“I thought the kids showed a lot of poise. We got the lead up to seven and then they made a run at us. I thought the guys did a good job to keep fighting and showed a lot of poise. The next time we got up by ten, we stretched it out, we dug down.I thought we got a little relaxed the first time, so I thought we learned from the first half of letting that seven point lead dwindle so the kids played extremely hard and really stayed positive the whole game."

"We shot the ball well, but we guarded. We played a little bit smarter the second half, took away their strengths and made them play to their weaknesses. I thought we played a lot smarter and harder defensively. It’s amazing when you play hard defensively and smarter, how much better your offense clicks. The main focus is still we got to get better defensively in order to be the team that we really want to be."