January 29, 2005
[Gamenotes] [Final Stats]
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For the second consecutive game, Pace has set a new career high for points scored in a game with 29 points vs. NWMSU. |
MARYVILLE, MO. ... Part two of the conference schedule started on Saturday night and SBU (9-10/3-7 MIAA) showed again why they are considered to be one of the most dangerous teams in all of the MIAA, going on the road to one of the most difficult places to play, Northwest Missouri St. (15-6/5-5 MIAA).
With the conference tournament right around the corner, SBU looked on the verge to take a monumental step for not just the season, but for the entire program until one play with nine seconds remaining in regulation postponed their fate, falling to NWMSU 96-90 in a dramatic overtime thriller.
For the second consecutive game, Sheldon Pace set a new career high for points scored in a game with 29 off of 8-14 shooting from the field including six three pointers and a team high seven rebounds. Deon Davis, coming off an injury earlier in the week versus Truman State was just as red hot, shooting 10-15 from the field for 24 points while grabbing down six rebounds.
Dominating the first five minutes, Southwest Baptist jumped out to a 15-7 lead off of a revamped three-point arsenal from Pace, Davis, and Martez Young. Between Pace and Davis, the combo from Los Angeles, California only missed one shot total from the first half out of 11 shots attempted.
Northwest Missouri St. did everything they possibly could just to keep up with the SBU in the first shooting over 48 percent from the field and matching their Bearcat counterparts shot for shot from the three-point line, converting six treys.
As Southwest Baptist used an 15-7 run to start the game, ironically NWMSU used an 15-7 run to end it, going into the half leading 41-37. Brandon Maxie and Austin Meyer led Northwest for a combined 18 points and 7-9 from the field.
A three-pointer from Pace with 12:33 remaining in regulation gave SBU their first lead since the first half and sparked a 10-2 run to give the purple and white Bearcats their biggest lead of the game at 65-56 with 10:12 left.
NWMSU fought their way back into the game in the late minutes and gave themselves a chance to complete the comeback with a three-point attempt from Meyer, but the trey attempt rimmed in and out and SBU grabbed the rebound, but when Chris Schulze saw an opportunity to ice the game by throwing a pass down to the other side of the court to a fellow teammate, Northwest forward Jessie Shaw deflected the pass, stole the ball, and found a wide open Travis Gardner for three to tie the game with nine seconds remaining and eventually force the extra session.
In the overtime period, again both Bearcat squads went back and forth with neither team grabbing a lead of more than three until the last seconds remaining in the game. A three-pointer from Rommel Colina gave Southwest Baptist their last lead at 90-89 with 56 seconds remaining. Northwest Missouri State finished the game with a 7-0 run to earn the season split with SBU.
Southwest Baptist next travels up to Kirksville, MO for another matchup with Truman State on Wednesday, February 2. Tipoff is slated for 7:30 pm. Just last Tuesday night at the Meyer Sports Center, SBU defeated the Bulldogs 75-69.
NOTES: Both of the overtime games that SBU has played this season has been against the Bearcats of the north, Northwest Missouri State. The 96 points scored against the Bearcats was the most allowed all season. Sheldon Pace's 29 points was the most points scored by any Bearcat in the Jeff Guiot era.
