A win, is a win, even if that win doesn't get you any style points.
On Saturday afternoon in Founders Hall Gym the Golden Eagles hung on by their talons in a 76-70 win over NCAA DIII Defiance College.
The game started with four turnovers---two by each team---as neither team was able to manufacture any offense for the first two minutes of the contest. Mercifully, Kameron Shockley converted on an inbounds lob pass beneath the KSU Tusc basket banking home the first score of the game.
The Eagles would go on to leads of 4-0 and 8-2 before they sprinted to a 16-6 advantage capped by back-to-back hoops from Kyle and Kameron Shockely off a bank shot, steal and subsequent layup. The lead swelled to 25-12 as Kyle Shockley found DeJuan Lawrence for an easy one on a back-door bounce pass, a three-ball from the left corner near the Yellow Jackets bench by Shockely, a driving hoop by Kameron Shockley and two James Roundtree free throws.
After a quick timeout, Defiance turned up the pressure and sliced into the lead with six straight points as they closed to 26-18. The Eagles had other ideas however, and ripped off nine quick points holding the visitors to just five points down the stretch while building a seemingly insurmountable 20-point halftime lead at 43-23.
The play of Roundtree and Braden Rostad at the close of first half was deadly. Roundtree sunk a pair of free throws and seconds later maneuvered his strong frame between defenders for a short jumper, while Rostad knocked down a triple and added a twisting shot in the lane for another.
For the Eagles, it was an important first half finish as the 6'8" Lawrence did not play the latter part of the opening half, nor the second half, after he lost his handhold on the rim on a dunk and crashed to the floor.
Defiance would outscore the Eagles 47-33 in the second half and made several charges in the final half as the Navy and Gold lacked continuity on the floor. Sparked by a 5-0 run the Jackets cut a 12-point deficit to 58-51 with seven minutes left in the game.
Buoyed by a Kameron Shockley 12-foot jumper and a Rostad triple, the Eagles suddenly led by double-digits again (64-53) with 6:21 left. From there an Arthur Jackson basket, a circle-button spin move to the basket in the lane by Kyle Shockley and a backdoor hoop by London Cobbs, stretched the lead to 72-57 with 2:19 left and everything seemed alright because the Eagles were flying high.
However, the Eagles missed two free throws and turned the ball over twice as Defiance rained home triples on three straight possessions to make everyone nervous again. The Eagles led just 72-66 when a flop-technical was called on them with 1:19 left. Two free throws later the 20-point halftime mountain had all but evaporated and it was now a slim four-point margin (72-68) and some tense moments to come with the Eagles suddenly grounded.
A subsequent KSU Tusc turnover with 47.2 ticks on the clock left the door open for the Yellow Jackets. On the ensuing possession however, the Eagles stepped up the perimeter defense and forced an awkward shot by the Yellow Jackets that barely drew iron.
From there, Kyle Shockley converted on two free throws with 19.7 left and lifted off for a reverse lay in after a steal by Jackson at halfcourt to seal the game and a 76-70 victory.
Kyle Shockley led the Golden Eagles with 14 points making 5/9 field goals, while Kameron Shockley, London Cobbs and Arthur Jackson all scored 11 points apiece. Kameron Shockley and Rostad both had seven rebounds as the Eagles outrebounded the Yellow Jackets 41-37. KSU Tusc shot 47.5% from the floor on 29/61 action shots and made 19 turnovers, most of the miscues coming in the second half.
KSU Tusc is now 3-2 on the season and travels to Penn State Beaver on Monday, November 22nd in a 5:00 p.m. start.
Kyle Shockley shoots an off balance baseline jumper.
JaJuantae Young applies defensive pressure. (Photos by Jason Keller)