The IUS men’s basketball team defeated Asbury College 84-55 on Homecoming Day, which was Saturday, Jan. 23. This pushes their record 17-3 overall and 6-0 in Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play. The game was played in front of over 1,000 fans, nearly a record for IU Southeast.
Jazzmarr Ferguson, IUS junior guard, doubled the next-highest scorer in the game, finishing with 24 points and he also handed out a game high six assists.
Carlos Mitchell, IUS senior guard, added 10 points and tied two Asbury Eagles — Brian Johnson, Asbury senior forward, and Adam Delph, Asbury freshman guard — for the game-high in rebounds with eight.
Asbury won the opening tipoff, but after a miss, Carlos Mitchell grabbed a rebound and was rewarded at the other end with a jumper to give the Grenadiers an early 2-0 lead. Asbury answered just 10 seconds later with a 3-pointer.
The Grenadiers set up their full-court press and Brice Mitchell, IUS freshman forward, stole the ball, made the layup and drew a foul. He made his free throw, giving IU Southeast an 8-3 lead less than three minutes into the game.
Ferguson was fouled on his layup attempt and goaltending was called on Asbury. After a successful free throw attempt, the Grenadiers led 11-3.
While 12 points in the first four minutes may not seem like a slow start to most people, Ferguson said he did not feel that way.
“We came out slow,” Ferguson said, “and let them get the momentum.”
Two Asbury layups and a pair of made free throws made it a 12-9 game, in favor of the Grenadiers, but an Asbury 3-pointer at the 13:05 knotted the game up at 12-12.
The Grenadiers bench was given a technical foul and Asbury made both of the resulting free throws, as well.
IU Southeast finally got back on track when Clay Ryan, IUS senior guard, drove to the basket and drew a foul. He made the first of his two free throws, cutting the Asbury lead to three points.
With 2:46 left in the half, Asbury got out to their largest lead, 30-24, but two quick Grenadiers baskets and a steal by Rick Bodiford, IUS junior guard, who was fouled, gave the Grenadiers an opportunity to tie the game again.
The Grenadiers were able to stay in the game despite shooting only 31 percent from the field in the first half, due in large part to a distinct offensive rebounding advantage of 9-5 and committing six less turnovers than the Eagles.
“We played well,” Grenadiers head coach Wiley Brown said, “but the shots just weren’t falling.”
Brown said he let his team know they had to play better in the second half, especially on defense.
“I gave them a good talking-to at halftime,” Brown said. “I told them it was going to be all about our defense.”
Asbury started with the ball, but couldn’t get anything going.
Alex Gravelle, IUS senior guard, drew first blood with an assist from Carlos Mitchell. Asbury immediately called a timeout.
Coming out of the timeout, Ferguson stole the ball and passed it ahead to Carlos Mitchell for a layup and
a foul. On the Grenadiers next possession, Ferguson got a running floater to drop in, giving IU Southeast a 40-34 lead.
Ferguson hit another 3-pointer and on the next Grenadiers possession, grabbed an offensive rebound, finding Carlos Mitchell inside for a layup and the foul.
The Eagles finally got on the board in the second half with a basket at the 16:30 mark.
The play of the night came with 3:25 left, when Ferguson alley-ooped the ball to Carlos Mitchell, who dunked and hung on the rim just long enough for everyone to get a good look.
The game ended on a 3-pointer by Ryan with one minute remaining.
Ferguson said he felt the Grenadiers showed their true colors in the second half.
“We let our emotions get the best of us,” Ferguson said, “but in the second, we settled down and played like the number three team in the country.”
By DERRICK HOLDRIDGE
Staff Writer
dvholdri@umail.iu.edu