Men's Basketball News
Colonels rally for overtime win once again
For the second time in the last three games, the Centre College men's basketball team found a way to win, rallying from 16 points down in the second half to force overtime and win in the extra period 78-69 over Trinity University in a Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) game Friday, Feb. 1 in San Antonio, Texas.
The Colonels have now won 17 straight games this season to improve to 17-1 overall and remain unbeaten in league play at 9-0. Trinity falls to 13-5 overall and 6-3 in the SCAC. The win also marks the 17th straight win for Centre over SCAC opponents dating back to last year and including the conference tournament.
The Tigers controlled much of the first half, leading the entire way. Ahead 14-11 at the 10:25 mark in the opening period, Trinity used a 20-6 run to extend its lead to 17 points (34-17) with just under five minutes to play in the half. The Colonels scored the final seven points of the half, but still trailed 34-24 at halftime.
Centre continued to trail in the second half cutting the lead to nine points twice early in the half, only to see the Tigers push the lead back to double figures both times.
Down 51-35 with just under 10 minutes to play, the Colonels started to chip away. Three three-pointers and a lay-up cut the lead to 53-46 at the 7:59 mark.
Trinity extended the lead back to 11 points (62-51) with only 4:55 left to play, but again, Centre would not go away, using a 13-3 run to make it a one-point game (65-64) with 0:42 on the clock.
After a Tiger lay-up made it a three-point game, senior guard Matt Nestheide (Edgewood, Ky.) hit a lay-up and was fouled with 0:20 left. Nestheide made the free throw and Trinity's last second shot attempt did not go and the two teams headed to overtime.
Like the Colonels' game against Millsaps one week earlier, Centre controlled the overtime period, out-scoring the Tigers 11-2 in the final period to escape with the nine-point victory.
The Colonels shot only 36.4% (8-22) in the first half, but shot the ball better as the game went on finishing at 43.9% (25-57), while Trinity went the opposite direction shooting only 38.7% (24-62) after opening the game at 44.8% (13-29) in the opening frame.
Nestheide posted his highest scoring out-put of the season scoring a game-high 23 points on eight of 11 shooting. The senior guard also added six rebounds and three assists while turning the ball over once in 41 minutes of action.
Fellow senior guard Thomas Britt (Louisville, Ky.) scored 16 points with four rebounds and four assists, and junior guard T.C. Thomason (Russellville, Ky.) and sophomore forward Danny Noll (Ft. Mitchell, Ky.) added 13 points apiece. Thomason also had eight rebounds, while Noll grabbed seven.
Charles Houston paced the Tigers' attack with a team-high 14 points, nine rebounds and four steals. Luke Caldarera was the only other Trinity player to finish in double figures scoring 11 points and grabbing five rebounds off the bench.
Centre will look to continue its hot play Saturday, Feb. 2 against Southwestern University. The SCAC contest will be played as part of a men's/women's doubleheader and will start at 8 p.m. CST in Georgetown, Texas. |
