Indians escape Mars Hill with overtime victory
The Mars Hill men’s basketball team (0-3, 0-3 SAC) were slighted by Catawba (2-3, 2-3 SAC) Saturday afternoon, 83-81, in overtime to close out 2020 inside Chambers Gymnasium.
MARS HILL, N.C. – The Mars Hill men's basketball team (0-3, 0-3 SAC) were slighted by Catawba (2-3, 2-3 SAC) Saturday afternoon, 83-81, in overtime to close out 2020 inside Chambers Gymnasium.
Catawba opened the extra frame on a 5-0 run before the Lions answered back with Jamal Bryant's three-pointer tying the game at 77 with just over three minutes to play. The Lions took a 79-78 lead off of a Reggie Wright floater, but a layup from Ben Bowen pushed the favor back to Catawba and spurned on a 5-1 run to secure the win.
With 14:24 left in the second half, the Lions found themselves down by 10 and began their comeback. Rajuan Conner scored five straight to cut the deficit in half, but Catawba rallied to hold back the Lions until their true charge began after a three-pointer by Trey Belin, one of five he made in the half.
Belin, along with David Elkins, led a Lions' 10-0 run with Belin scoring eight. He hit back-to-back three-pointers with just over four minutes remaining in the half, putting the Lions up 66-63. Belin's fifth three of half put the Lions up by six, but Catawba answered with a 6-0 run in the final minute of play to force overtime.
The Indians opened the contest on a 4-0 run before the game was knotted at five with 3:16 played in the first. Over the next four minutes, Catawba ballooned the lead up to 16-5 after an 11-0 run. Taqwain Drummond netted five points during the run.
Mars Hill found themselves down 30-11 with under six minutes to play in the half before clawing back into the contest. The Lions cut the deficit back down to single digits with 11 seconds to play following the conversion of a three-point play by Wright, however, a three-pointer by Drummond with four seconds remaining sent the Indians into the locker room with a 39-27 advantage.
Drummond led the Indians with 13 points in the half while Terrence Whitfield and Bowen scored seven apiece. Wright led the Lions with eight points followed by Jamal Bryant's seven. Jeremy Peck led all players with five rebounds in the half.
Drummond paced the Indians' offense with 16 while three other Indians recorded double-figures (Whitfield 12, Bowen & McLeod 13).
Belin led all players with 22 points, hitting six three-pointers on the day. Wright finished with 19 and five assists while Bryant added 12 and pulled down eight rebounds. Peck led all players with 10 rebounds.
The Lions return to the court on January 6 when they face the Cavaliers of UVA Wise on the road. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m.
