LAKELAND, Fla.—In the first game of the SEU Classic, the Fire erased a double-digit deficit to force overtime against the number two team in the country. However, Southeastern's emotional comeback attempt fell short in the extra period as the St. Francis Cougars took the contest by a final score of 92-85.
Ryan Atkins went on a tear against the Cougars in the first twenty minutes of play. The senior guard scored 11 of the first 17 points for the Fire, and a total of 19 in the first half on 7 of 11 shooting, to give Southeastern a two-point advantage over the second ranked team in the nation heading into the half (39-37).
The Cougars responded with a vengeance in the second half. They started the second period on a 10-2 run and bombarded the Fire with three-point attempts. On the night the Cougars made 11 of their 23 shots from beyond the arc, while Southeastern went just four of 17 from three.
St. Francis connected on six of their first eight shots from downtown in the second half to open up a ten-point lead on the Fire, but Southeastern clawed its way back into the contest late in the game.
The Fire used a 14-7 run, fueled by six free throws by Josiah Barsh, to cut the Cougars' advantage to a single point with 3:20 remaining. Barsh finished the night with 18 points, going 12-14 from the charity stripe.
Down three, with time winding down and Southeastern's shot at an upset dwindling, the Fire forced a key St. Francis turnover with less than 30 seconds remaining. On the ensuing possession, Atkins launched a three-point attempt from the corner that found the bottom of the net to tie the game at 81 with just seven seconds left, forcing an extra five minutes of play. Atkins ended the competition with team-highs in points (30) and rebounds (eight).
The combination of Brice Leinhoop and Derek Hinen ensured the Fire's comeback would not be completed. The duo scored nine of the Cougars' 11 point in the next five minutes, as Southeastern was bested on the glass 8-2, and on the scoreboard 11-4, in the overtime period.
Leinhoop grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds to go with his 33 points in the Cougars' 92-85 victory. Hinen contributed with 22 points and nine assists for St. Francis.
Men's basketball will be back on the court tomorrow when they face Goshen College in the final game of the SEU Classic. Tip off is scheduled for 4 p.m. in the Furnace.
