The IUS men’s basketball team ran into its first competition in more than 14 games against Cincinnati Christian. The Grenadiers trailed at half-time 43-38, but fought back in the second half to win 95-87.
The visiting Eagles got off to a great start, shooting 60 percent from the three point line and 48 percent from the field. The Grenadiers shot only 25 percent from three point line in the first half.
In the second half the Grenadiers looked more like the team that has clinched the No.1 seed in the KAIC tournament, but still were not able to pull away until late in the game. They took their first lead at the 11:20 minute mark in the second half, but the visiting Eagles refused to quit and the game was close until the final seconds.
Cameron Mitchell, senior guard, carried the bulk of the offensive load scoring 27 points, grabbing five rebounds and three steals. Jake Simpson, junior guard, added 15 points, six rebounds and three assists. Kegan Clark, senior forward, scored 13 points, while totaling seven rebounds and three assists.
“I had a good game, but it’s a team game and we all stepped up in big situations,” Cameron Mitchell said.
IUS Head Coach Wiley Brown said the team had been doing a great job following the scouting report until the game against Cincinnati Christian. He said that the team made way too many mistakes tonight and that’s why the game was so close.
“We played bad, but that was a good team and I want everyone to know that our conference is getting good,” Brown said.
Mitchell said the Grenadiers needed a game like this going into the conference tournament, to see how tough this team really is.
“We were down in the beginning, but we stayed composed and in the end we got a win” Mitchell said.
The Cincinnati Christian Eagles were led in scoring by Willie Mckinney who scored 14 of his 22 points in the first half on 60 percent shooting. Mckinney grabbed 11 first half rebounds but was held to only one in the second half.
NOTES:
-IU Southeast’s Kevin Mitchell, senior guard, was named the KIAC men’s basketball player of the week. The Grenadiers finished last week 3-0 after defeating conference opponents Brescia University, Berea College and Indiana University East by a combined total of 83 points. Mitchell averaged 16 points, 4.3 rebounds and four assists during that stretch.
-Indiana University Southeast is currently 21-3 overall and 15-0 in conference play. They host Brescia University tonight at 7 pm in what will be the final regular season home game for seniors Kevin Mitchell, Kegan Clark, Greg Magee, Cameron Mitchell and Vernon Payne.
