The Centre College men's basketball team opened its second consecutive Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) season with a loss, this time falling to DePauw University 73-67, Saturday, Dec. 2, in Greencastle, Ind.
The Colonels, which lost to Sewanee-the University of the South 81-76 in last year's SCAC opener, fall to 4-3 overall and 0-1 in the conference, while DePauw improves to 5-1 overall and 1-0 in league play.
Both teams shot the ball extremely well in the first half combining to make 58.7% (27-46) of its shots. Centre, which shot 61.9% (13-21) jumped out to an early 6-4 lead, but quickly saw that lead disappear as DePauw went on a 9-0 run to take a 13-6 lead with 11:43 left in the half.
The Tigers took advantage of 13 first half turnovers by the Colonels and would extend the lead to as many as 12 (36-24) points late in the first half, before going to the locker room with a 41-33 lead.
DePauw would extend its lead further in the second half out scoring the Colonels 21-13 in the first 11:04 to take a 60-46 lead. That lead would be pushed to 16 points (66-50), but Centre would make a run.
Down 16 points with 5:25 to play, the Colonels used a 11-0 run to pull within five points (66-61) with just under three minutes left on the clock. The lead would eventually be cut to four points, but Centre would get no closer ending the game with a six-point loss.
DePauw's Stephen Schott led three Tigers in double figures with a game-high 25 points on 10 of 17 shooting. Schott also grabbed five rebounds and added a steal in the win. Austin Brown finished with 11 points and Reid Sakel added 10 points and four rebounds.
Junior guard Matt Nestheide (Edgewood, Ky.) paced Centre with 15 points. Sophomore forward T.C. Thomason (Russellville, Ky.) scored 14 points with five rebounds and three steals and senior center John Patterson (Lexington, Ky.) added 13 points and a game-high six rebounds.
Centre will return to action, Monday, Dec. 18, when it travels to Crestview Hills, Ky. to square off against Thomas More College. Tip-off for the non-conference tilt is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. |
