Box Score N. MANCHESTER, Indiana-- The Mount St. Joseph men's basketball team traveled to N. Manchester, Indiana to take on the Spartans of Manchester University in an Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference match-up. The Lions would see four players score in double figures to help secure the victory.
Both teams got off to a slow start scoring a combined 14 points through the first 5:00 minutes of action. The Lions were dealt a blow early in the game as the team's second leading scorer freshman Adam Goetz (Erlanger, KY/ St. Henry) picked up two fouls in the first 1:43 of the action, and was relegated to the bench for the remainder of the half. Jake Cropper (Georgetown, OH/ Georgetown) entered the game and along with Bobby Murdock (Cincinnati, OH/ Anderson) combined for 14 points off the bench in the first half. The bench production added to Andrew Finley (Cincinnati, OH/ Walnut Hills) returning to form with 11 first half points helped the Lions to secure a 34-31 halftime lead.
In the second half Goetz would return and score all 12 of his points, and pulling down six boards while playing every minute of the second frame. The bench was again big in the second half has Cropper scored 9 points in the half. The bench production would be a huge plus as they held a 28-19 edge in bench production. Finley was able to add another 11 in the second half bringing his total to a game-high 22. The Lions shot a blistering 54.3 percent from the field in the game.
Even considering all of this the game was hanging in the balance into the late stages. They held a 16 point advantage with 3:28 to play. The Spartans though closed the game on a 13-5 run to make things interesting. Mount St. Joseph was able to do just enough down the stretch to secure the win. Holding off the Manchester rally and traveling home with a 76-68 victory.
The Lions will next take to the hardwood on the road against Thomas More in the Bridge Shootout, the game will take place Wednesday at Thomas More with the game scheduled to tip-off at 7:00 PM.
