Relentless!
That's the word to describe the way (2-15) Miami Middletown played at Kent State Tuscarawas on Sunday. The Thunderhawks got 16 second chance points, forced 29 turnovers---the biggest in the final minutes---with their ball-hawking double team defense, and even when they trailed by nine second half points, they just wouldn't go away.
Carelessness!
That was probably the word many Golden Eagles fans could use to describe the ending to a game that resulted in a 73-71 loss on their home floor to the Thunderhawks. They just seemed at a loss to match MUM's intensity level.
After all, the Golden Eagles could only manage two leads in the first half of the game, and even though they went on a 13-0 run in the second half to build a nine-point cushion, they couldn't finish and struggled to just two buckets and a free throw over the final 6:33 in a game they threw away.
Fresh out of the locker room with a 41-36 lead, MUM stretched their advantage to 50-41 with 16:54 showing. Suddenly, the Eagles turned the tables and played with a renewed sense of urgency outscoring the visitors 12-3 to deadlock the game at 53-53. The drive started with a Braden Rostad triple from the deep right corner and then London Cobbs took things into his own hands.
Cobbs stole the ball with 15:24 showing and drove the length of the court for a lay-up. Seconds later he grabbed an errant Thunderhawk shot and did it again, this time getting an and-one after being fouled on the bucket. He repeated his penchant for theft again with 13:54 left, was fouled in the act of shooting and sank both free throws. Stir in a Vinnie Roper steal and offensive tip in by Kyle Shockley and the Eagles were back---for now.
MUM came right back however, to take a 57-53 lead before KSU Tusc called for a timeout.
Something happened in that Eagles huddle that ignited a 13-0 run as they once again found inner strength. Cobbs started things with an offensive put-back and Rostad followed with an off-balance lay-up to knot the game at 57-57, before an Arthur Jackson three-ball at 9:20 gave the Eagles their first lead (60-57) since 2:44 left in the opening half---nearly 14 minutes earlier.
Cobbs drove home another basket from the top of the key and split a pair of free throws, while Rostad canned another triple for a 66-57 Eagles advantage with 6:33 left to go.
The Thunderhawks broke the string with a pair of charity tosses at 5:42, but Shockley responded with a reverse lay in and Rostad pinned his man down for an easy bucket from the low block and a 70-64 lead with 3:31 left. It was the last field goal the Eagles would get in the game while adding a Vinnie Roper free throw at 3:11.
On the next three Eagles possessions, the Thunderhawks turned them over forcing two wayward passes and converted on both miscues with driving full court lay ups to trim the Navy and Gold lead to 71-70. Much to the dismay of the biggest crowd of the season, an offensive foul for an illegal pick negated an Eagles three-ball with 1:13 left and a missed 10-foot baseline jumper with the game tied at 71-71 gave MUM the ball with less than 30 seconds left.
Mum closed out the victory scoring the last eight points of the game. Their final two coming on free throws with just :02.7 seconds left to play.
A final timeout by the Eagles set up an inbounds play against pressure and they made a pass to half court where Coach Tharp called for a timeout. The referees didn't acknowledge the signal and Cobbs was forced to toss up a 30-foot shot that caromed off the glass and rim as time ran out.
The Eagles (12-6) have now lost two games in a row and were led by Rostad's 19 points as he bombed home five three-point shots. Cobbs and Shockley were also in double figures with 17 and 13 points respectively. Roper, Cobbs, James Roundtree and JaJuantae Young had six rebounds each, while Cobbs also had five assists and Roper committed four thefts.
For the game the Eagles shot 41% from the floor converting on 7/24 three-balls for 29%, whilst the Hawks shot 37% and made 50% of their triple chances making 8/16. Both teams shot 71% from the foul line with KSU Tusc making 12/17 and MUM making 17/24. The winners outmatched the Eagles in second chance points 16-6, and made 19 steals in the game to Tusc's 13.
On Wednesday the Eagles play their final home contest of the season against Villa Maria College at 5:00 p.m.
Braden Rostad fires home a three-ball against the Thunderhawks and Kyle Shockley dunks home two points.
Vinnie Roper goes glass for two.
Photos by Jason Keller