Box Score LOCATION: Harrington Center (Cincinnati, Ohio)
THE BASICS:
Mount St. Joseph (16-9, 13-5 HCAC) welcomed Earlham College (2-23, 1-17 HCAC) for Senior Day, and sent the seniors out with a bang with a 67-46 victory and a share of the HCAC title. A Defiance victory at Rose-Hulman though means the Lions will travel to Defiance College for the second straight season for the HCAC tournament.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Prior to the game Mount St. Joseph recognized five senior members of the basketball program. Student coaches Anthony Dennis, and Tre' Pickel, as well Joel Scudder, Travis Combs and Femi Thompson. This group will leave the Mount as the most decorated group of seniors in school history.
The game was tightly contested for the first four minutes, with 16:47 to play in the first half the Lions held a one point lead at 7-6. Over the next eight minutes the Lions went on an 18-2 run to seize control of the game. They held a 17 point lead with 5:11 to go, Earlham closed the half on a run that would find them down only 8 at the break.
The second half saw the Lions maintain control of the action most of the way. The lead was only single digits on one occasion in the second 20 minutes. They were able to keep the Quakers at bay, and with 1:07 to play and a 19 point lead the Lions were able to allow the seniors to walk off to a thunderous applause.
STANDOUTS
The Lions were lead by Thompson offensively as he was able to pour in 23 points in his final game in the Harrington Center. Scudder and Combs did not score the ball as well as they may have liked, but their fingerprints were all over the win. Scudder had 6 assists to go along with 7 points, and Combs had 2 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals.
UP NEXT
The Lions will play travel to Defiance College on Saturday for the HCAC tournament, the opponent will be determined by the Hanover vs. Transylvania game on Friday night.
