KSU Tuscarawas vs. Andrews University Highlights (Video by Maggie Lampe)
Basketball is a game of momentum swings and there was certainly a lot of ebb and flow in the Kent State Tuscarawas basketball game on Sunday against visiting Andrews University.
In a game that saw seven ties and 13 lead changes, the Golden Eagles lost that flow with 1:18 left on the game clock and fell to the Cardinals 71-66. The winners scored seven points over those precious final minutes to win for the seventh straight time, while the Navy and Gold misfired and lost for the first time in seven games.
Multiple momentum swings highlighted the opening half after the Eagles scored the game's first four points. The largest lead in the see saw battle was 21-17 by KSU with 7:14 to play, but that advantage evaporated and two late turnovers led to Cardinal runouts and a 28-27 deficit at halftime.
The start of the second half mirrored the start of the game, as the Eagles went on a 5-0 spurt to grab a 32-28 lead. They built a seven-point margin (38-31) on a put back by Jacob Hicks and an Andre Leavell layup and tip in. Two Leavell free throws at the 13:17 mark held the Cardinals at bay 44-36 before the high tide receded for the Eagles.
It was a watershed for the Cardinals however, when they went on a 17-0 run spurred on by a KSU offense that lacked continuity, a couple of turnovers and a poor defensive set when the Eagles fouled a 3-point shooter. After the melee, the Cardinals found themselves with a 53-44 lead.
Gunnar Tharp stopped the nearly seven-minute drought on baseline floater with 6:40 left that started the Eagles clawing back. Tharp bombed in a triple off a missed KSU free throw and Malik Campbell stole the ball at the midcourt stripe and raced to the basket for a layup and the hosts were back in business trailing just 53-51 with 6:04 to play.
Two Arthur Jackson layups kept the Eagles in striking range, 56-55, before Andrews sank a triple for a 58-55 lead with 3:45 left. Tharp answered that three with one of his own and tied the game at 58-58 and Jackson laid another shot off the glass to knot things up again 60-60.
The Cardinals were in the double bonus after a KSU foul with 2:40 to play and the lead swung back in their favor at 62-60, but the lead was short lived as Tharp canned another three-ball for a 63-62 KSU lead at the 2:19 mark.
Following two more Andrews charity tosses, another Tharp trey gave the Eagles the lead back again, 66-64, with 1:18 showing on the clock. They were the last points KSU would score.
The winners scored baskets on two straight possessions for a 68-66 lead as the Eagles were forced to send the Cardinals to the free throw line after missing a shot with just 13.6 ticks remaining.
Andrews converted on just one of two tosses for a 69-66 lead and with 9.8 left the Eagles missed a game-tying 3-point shot and fouled again. With 1.0 left, the Cardinals sank two more free throws for the winning 71-66 margin.
Tharp led KSU with 16 points, Campbell added 13 and Leavell and Hicks had 12 each. Leavell also grabbed nine boards and Hicks had six.
The Eagles outrebounded the Cardinals 40-28 and shot 40% from the floor. They didn't have as much luck from behind the arc where they made just 6/31 tries for 19% and committed 22 turnovers.
The loss drops KSU to 11-10 on the season.
Up next is a 7:30 p.m. road game at Akron Wayne on Wednesday, January 29th.
The Golden Eagles bench shows their appreciation for a play against Andrews.
Arthur Jackson drives to the basket against Andrews University.
Malik Campbell pushes tempo against the Cardinals. (Photos by Jason Keller)