Men's Basketball Earns First Win of the Season

WEST POINT, GA-- There are high expectations for the 2015-16 Southeastern men's basketball team.  They come into the season as the #23 ranked team in NAIA DII and was picked to finish second in the Sun Conference preseason coaches poll.  With all these expectations to shoulder, the Fire came out on top in a close game against the Point University Skyhawks, 84-82.

 

The Fire (1-0) played comfortably in the first half, shooting 55% and ending the half on a 6-0 run to finish with a 49-39 lead.  Elijah Ray scored 14 of his 24 points in the first half while also collecting five of his six rebounds.

 

The Skyhawks (0-2) started the second half on a 7-0 run to make it a 49-46 game.  They were able to tie the game at the 12:41 mark after a free throw by Vincent Driscoll.  Point scrapped to a seven-point lead with 6:29 remaining before SEU climbed back.

 

SEU tied the game at 80 with 2:03 left after a Ray field goal on an assist from Larry Taylor.  Another basket by Ray to go along with a pair of successful free throws by Jake Hodges gave them an 84-80 lead with 21 seconds left.  

 

Point had a chance to win the game, as they trailed by two points with 19 seconds left.  A Cory Carswell steal and a Skyhawk timeout set the table for a come-from-behind victory.  After the inbound, Craig Wilcox, Jr. missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give the Fire a stressful victory.

 

Hodges finished as the leading scorer for the Fire, recording 25 points on 10-20 shooting and six rebounds.  Ray collected 24 points, six rebounds, and a block.  

 

Isaac Barsh finished with a double-double in his first game as a member of the Fire, finishing with 13 points on 6-12 shooting, 10 rebounds, three assists, and four steals.  Taylor finished with 15 points, two rebounds, six assists, and a steal.  

 

The Fire will stay in West Point tomorrow and play the Pensacola Christian College Eagles.  Tip off is set for 2 p.m.