SHREVEPORT, La. – Down six and after a close shot clock violation call that wiped away a made basket, who knew that would provide the spark for Gents Basketball Sunday afternoon, January 27?
After a made three by the Mountaineers following the violation, the Gents scored 10 straight and finished the first half on an 18-4 run to take the lead for good as Centenary (8-10, 5-4 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference) ended a 6-game skid to Schreiner (8-10, 4-5 SCAC) with a 66-55 win at the Gold Dome.
Down 19-13 with just more than 8:32 left in the first half and the shot clock winding down, junior Cedric Harris slipped through the Schreiner defense for a layup. However, the refs waived off the basket because of a shot clock violation. On the ensuing possession, the Mountaineers canned a three to give the visitors their largest lead of the game at nine. However, freshman Ty Prince found Harris for the answer three to jumpstart a Centenary 10-0 run.
Neither team scored the next two minutes until senior Treylan Matthews hit a three to bring the Gents within a single possession. After a Schreiner miscue, Harris hit a jumper to cut the deficit to one. Freshman Ricky Ray made a steal and Matthews hit a pair from the line as Centenary took a 23-22 lead with four minutes left until the intermission. It was the home team's first lead in nearly 10 minutes.
Harris scored a game high 22 points on 9-for-13 shooting – including a 4-for-7 mark from behind the arc.
As both teams traded a one-point lead for the next two minutes, a Matthews three put the Gents in the lead for good. Matthews hit three free throws with 36 seconds left until the break as Centenary held a 31-26 lead at the intermission.
Matthews finished the game with 15 points.
Centenary clung to a two-point lead, 39-37, in the second half before holding the Mountaineers scoreless for nearly six minutes – scoring nine unanswered in the process. Sophomore Dakota Smith split from the line and then added a big tip-in off a missed layup. Harris drained a three before freshman Kile Mingo punctuated the run with a corner three. Leading 48-37 with 9:07 left, Centenary never led by less than six the rest of the way.
To put the cherry on top of the victory, Prince drained all four of his attempts from three in the final 7:35 on the contest. He finished the game with 18 points and nine boards, going 4-for-5 from distance for the game. He also contributed four assists.
With Centenary holding a slim 11-10 lead, Schreiner used a 12-2 run to take its largest lead of the game. Alex Dehoyos hit a three and Josiah Lanier split from the line. Lanier hit another three as Schreiner led by six. Prince answered with a layup for the Gents, but Josh Bradford made a fastbreak layup and Ellis Jones drained a three.
Jones led Schreiner with 16, while Matthew Rindahl contributed 15.
Centenary outrebounded Schreiner 35-29, but only 8-5 on the offensive glass. However, the Gents took advantage of a 12-2 edge in second-chance points. The only team in the conference allowing less than 70 points a game this season, the Gents improve to 4-0 in SCAC play when holding opponents to 56 points or less for a game (and in their only win allowing more than 56 in conference action, Centenary held its opponent to just 10 points in the first half).
Centenary finishes the regular season series against the Mountaineers Friday, February 1, in Kerrville, Texas. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.