SHREVEPORT, La. - When you are in the quarterfinals of the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament, it is not an opportune time have a season low in points and field goal percentage. The remedy? Just allow the least amount of points in a game this season.
Despite just 57 points and a 28.8 shooting percent (19-for-66) from the field, Centenary (16-10) survived and advanced with a 57-55 win against Trinity (10-16) to kick off the 2016 SCAC Tournament Friday afternoon, February 26.
The Gents led by as much as seven in the second half, but Trinity hit three of its final five from distance and had the final possession with a chance to win the game. However, tight defense by the Maroon and White produced no shots for the Tigers in the final 18 seconds.
Junior James Sapp scored 10 points and grabbed 17 boards to lead Centenary. With 13 double-doubles on the season, and Southwestern falling in the second quarterfinal and no double-double for Ryan Ogden, Sapp will end the season as the stat leader in that category in the SCAC.
Like the first meeting in early January, Centenary found itself with a first half deficit. Down eight with 7:58 left in the first half, freshman Treylan Matthews split from the line and sophomore Travion Kirkendoll made a jumper and layup. The Tigers led by six with 1:28 to go until intermission, but a Kirkendoll layup and jumper brought Centenary within 26-24 at the break.
Trinity led 30-28 in the final period, but a three from senior Justin Cueto ignited nine unanswered by Centenary. Matthews added a layup and Demouchet got a jumper off his own miss. Sapp capped the run with a jumper to put Centenary up 37-30 with 12:43 left.
Kirkendoll led all scorers with 18 while Matthews narrowly missed his second-straight double-double, and his third of the season, with nine points and nine boards.
With the home team up by six with 10 minutes left, Trinity got hot from deep. Isaiah Specks hit a three. After Matthews split from the line, Khambrel Roach hit a three. The Tigers split from the line to tie the game, but Kirkendoll sank two from the line for the Gents. A Roach three and a split from the line gave Trinity the brief second half lead, but Cueto answered with a triple to put Centenary up for good, 50-49, with 4:43 left.
Trinity tried to rally, thanks in part to a 7-for-12 (58.3 percent) shooting mark from distance in the second half. Specks came off the bench with 13 for the Tigers, while Ben Beatie (13) and A.J. Pulliam (12) added double-digit boards.
Centenary returns to action Saturday, February 26, against top-seeded Texas Lutheran. Tip off is scheduled for 1 p.m.
