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01.24.06
- Alex Kock dropped in 28 points to lead
the NAIA 4th-ranked Huntington University Foresters (20-4,
8-2) to the 65-62 win over the University of St. Francis (17-7, 6-4).
Although the Foresters led from wire to wire, the Cougars hung around
most of the 40 minutes to keep the outcome in doubt until the final
buzzer.
In the first half, Huntington used a
6-0 run midway through the period to take a 22-10 lead, but St.
Francis came back with an 8-2 spurt to get it back to within six at
24-18 with 2:35 left in the half. The two teams traded baskets to
close out the period and headed to the locker room with the Foresters
leading 31-25.
The Foresters seemed to take control of
the game early in the second half with a 12-3 run, which gave them
their largest lead of the game at 43-28 with 15:27 to play. But St.
Francis would not go away. The Cougars began to chip away at
Huntington’s lead and got it down to single digits at 45-36 with 11:23
on the clock. A conventional three-point play by Jason Malone cut
HU’s lead to 55-50 with 5:27 to go. The Foresters pushed it back to a
nine-point advantage at 63-54 at the 3:40 mark, but the Cougars had
one final run left.
A jumper by USF’s Trey Eaton brought
the Cougars within three at 65-62 with 50 seconds to play. Kock
missed a jumper for the Foresters with 31 seconds left, giving the
Cougars a chance to tie it. Following a USF timeout, Eaton drove the
baseline and missed a layup. HU’s Doug Sheckler forced a jumpball
call on the rebound and the possession arrow belonged to HU. On the
inbounds play, Kyle Ganton was whistled for a foul for pushing off
with seven seconds remaining, giving the ball back to the Cougars.
USF inbounded the ball and again the whistle blew. This time a double
foul was called on Eaton and HU’s Kyle Benge. Possession went back to
St. Francis with three seconds left. Again USF inbounded the ball and
Jared Yoder knocked the ball away from the Cougars’ Nate Bojrab as the
buzzer finally sounded.
Joining Kock in double figures for
Huntington was Sheckler with 12. Mike Campbell was the lone Cougar to
reach double digits with 15. Gabe Miller added nine points and 13
rebounds for the Cougars. Neither team shot the ball well as
Huntington went 24-56 for 43% and St. Francis finished the game at 40%
(21-53). The Foresters won the battle of the boards 38-32.
Huntington will next play host to Taylor University on Saturday,
January 28 at 3:00 p.m.
Box Score
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