On a crowded night in the Callan Athletic Center, Cedarville saw its three-game winning streak come to an end, losing to Central State University 95-85.
An entertaining half highlighted by blistering three-point shooting and numerous transition buckets saw Central State go into the locker room up one, 43-42. The two teams combined to go 15-30 from the field in the first half from three-point land. Central State’s leading scorer, Masceo Harmon, scored 25 in the first half on 10-13 shooting. Cedarville’s zone couldn’t slow him down and a few defensive breakdowns didn’t help, either.
The second half was as competitive as the first. Cedarville took control early with good ball movement and aggressive drives. The Marauders looked to be on the ropes, but Central State hung around due to Harmon’s stellar play and the fact that the Marauders couldn’t miss from behind the arc.
Down 77-76 with a few minutes to go, the Jackets fell apart, turning the ball over on crucial possessions. The Marauders took advantage of the miscues and pulled away at the very end, winning 95-85.
Leighton Smith recorded his first double-double of the year, scoring 15 points and bringing down 11 rebounds. All five starters scored in double figures.
After the game, Coach Estepp said, “We lost the game between our ears. We’ve got to stop making mental mistakes when the game is close.”
Coach Estepp said he liked his team’s effort and balance (five players scored in double figures), but he said he still saw need for improvement, especially when it comes to rebounding and cutting down on mental errors.
Cedarville’s next game is Thursday, Feb. 5, against Alderson Broaddus at 7:45 in the Callan Athletic Center.
Byron Brown is a junior global business major and sports reporter for Cedars. He plays for the JV basketball team here at Cedarville. His hobbies include playing sports, exercising, watching sports, eating and watching movies.
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