The Golden Eagles modus operandi is to play a full 40 minutes.....never give up! And, even though they trailed by as many as 18 points in the second half at Hocking College on Saturday, they clawed their way back by slashing the deficit to single digits on several occasions late in the game before falling 74-64.

On the strength of three consecutive three-point bombs the Hawks built a lead of 53-35 to bust open a seven-point game at the 12:53 mark of the final half. However, not to be denied their chance to win, KSU Tusc held the hosts scoreless for nearly three minutes as they forged their way back to within eight points, 57-49, scoring most of their points at the free throw line.

Another big Hocking three-pointer boosted the deficit to 11 points with 5:33 remaining and most teams would have felt the crush and rolled over for their opponents. This was the same team that handed them a 90-69 defeat on their home floor two weeks ago. However, these are the Golden Eagles who valiantly fight until the last second drains from the game clock.

Two free throws by Braden Rostad (Gnadenhutten, OH / Indian Valley) with 5:22 to play cut the lead to 60-52 and when things appeared to be getting out of hand again, the husky sophomore rained home a three-ball from the right wing in front of the KSU Tusc bench and London Cobbs (Chicago, IL / Roosevelt) made a driving basket with 4:28 left and the Eagles trailed by the same slim margin at 65-57.

The Hawks lead swelled to 13 on five straight points, only for the Golden Eagles to respond again and trim the deficit to nine but with only 33.9 ticks left on the clock as the game slipped away.

Arthur Jackson (Euclid, OH / Euclid) paced four Golden Eagles in double figures with 18 points, making 6/8 field goal attempts and was perfect from behind the arc (2/2) and at the charity stripe (4/4). Rostad added 13 and DeJuan Lawrence (Akron, OH / Kenmore) scored 11 and contributed his four double-double on the season with 10 rebounds---five on the offensive glass. Cobbs scored 11 as well.

Braden Rostad scored 13 points at Hocking College.    Photo by Jason Keller