All endings bring new beginnings!
The regular season ended last week and the Golden Eagles started the post season this week on an upswing. They were playing with a chip on their shoulder that most would let become a boulder. An anchor if you will, for some, but fuel for stoking an engine that fired on all cylinders in an 87-73 victory over Southwestern Adventist University in their first-ever appearance in the USCAA National Basketball Championships in Chesterfield, VA.
They responded emphatically to the snub of having their tournament hopes determined by a conference championship, while the 10th ranked Knights were slid into a higher tournament seed ahead of the higher ranked Eagles.
KSU Tusc felt their tournament appearance was a shoo-in based on the merits of having beaten all seven Top 10 ranked teams they faced this season. And the Eagles took it personal. They only trailed SWA once the entire game and that was 3-2 at the 18:55 mark of the opening half of play.
An 14-2 run spotted them to a 16-5 advantage, as they ended the first 20 minutes making 16/30 field goals and 11/13 free throws for a 44-23 lead at the intermission. They made 12 steals in the stanza, while scoring 16 points off turnovers and holding the Knights to just 8/28 field goals for a paltry 29%.
The onslaught continued in the final half as the Eagles built a 29-point, 63-34 lead with 14:19 still left to play in the game. But this is the post season where ruby slippers can often be found and the Knights clicked their heels 21 times while holding KSU Tusc to just a bucket slicing the lead to 66-55. But, SWA would not get closer than 10 the rest of the way because the slippers didn't fit.
They were however, five tense minutes for the Eagles, who were forced to employ full court pressure to wrestle the momentum back having lost some of their edge playing with a big lead. With 2:03 left a pair of free throws by Vinny Roper gave the Eagles a 17-point, 82-65 lead as they coasted home.
For the game the Navy and Gold forced 24 turnovers which allowed them to score 28 points. They also had 18 steals, blocked six shots, shot 50% from the floor (30/60) and converted on 22/28 free throws for 79%.
Four Golden Eagles scored in double figures, as both London Cobbs and Kameron Shockley scored 22 points apiece. Kyle Shockley added 16 points while DeJuan Lawrence added 14. All four combined to score 74 of the Eagles 87 points, making 25/40 field goals (63%) and 19/23 free throws for 83%. Kameron Shockley led the team with nine boards.
On Tuesday, the Eagles (19-8) will play against No. 1 overall seed Penn State Mont Alto in a 4:00 p.m. tipoff at Richard Bland College. Catch all the action via the live stream here: https://www.uscaasportsnetwork.com/?B=368191
London Cobbs and Kyle Shockley apply the pressure and forced a turnover.
Kameron Shockley lays in a basket over a SWA defender.
Kameron Shockley shoots a one-handed baseline jumper. Photos by Rob Brindley