DANVILLE, Ky. – Centre men's basketball needed all 40 minutes to put away Rhodes Friday evening, escaping Alumni Gymnasium with a 68-61 Southern Athletic Association victory.
The Colonels (11-2, 2-0 SAA) scored the game's final seven points in the last minute of action, with
Dawson Crump's thrilling and-one conversion giving Centre a lead it wouldn't relinquish.
Rhodes (3-10, 0-2) led by as many as 10 points, but missed its last three shots in a failed effort to match the Colonels down the stretch.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Rhodes proved a pesky opponent right from the opening tip, gaining a 19-9 lead midway through the first half. The Lynx defense limited Centre to a 3-for-15 start from the field.
- The Colonels managed to close the period on a 15-5 run, thanks in large part to nine points from
Perry Ayers.
- Centre and Rhodes were knotted at 24 apiece in a defensive struggle after 20 minutes, as the teams shot a combined 17 of 53 (32%) overall and just 4 of 21 (19%) from long range.
- After
Jacob Bates scored 10 straight points for Centre early in the second half, and with the Night of Champions crowd on its feet, the Colonels seemed poised to run away from the Lynx.
- Rhodes refused to roll over, however, and eventually came all the way back to take a 52-50 lead at the seven-minute mark.
- Perhaps the highlight of the night came with just over a minute remaining, as Ayers converted a circus and-one opportunity to put Centre ahead, 61-58.
- Owen Galvin sank a clutch 3-pointer on the ensuing possession, making it 61-61, but it would be the Lynx's final points.
- Crump followed with the game-sealing traditional 3-point play of his own, driving down the lane and finishing with a finger roll while being fouled.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Bates led the Colonels with 16 points on 6 of 8 shooting, and Ayers followed with 14 by hitting 5 of 11 shots.
- Crump finished with nine points – five coming from the free throw line – and senior
Jarod Griffin added eight, which included some timely 3-pointers.
-
Tucker Sine,
KC Purvis and
Art Walker each co-led Centre with seven rebounds, and Purvis also tallied three blocks.
- Centre had 12 offensive boards, with Purvis hauling in five, as the Colonels totaled 15 second chance points (13 in the second half).
UP NEXT
Centre hosts Hendrix Sunday at 2 p.m. ET in Alumni Gym. The Warriors fell to Sewanee, 78-70, Friday evening.
