Box Score LAKELAND, Fla. – After taking No. 2 Saint Francis to the brink in an overtime classic last night, the No. 7 Southeastern University men's basketball team responded by edging out the Goshen College Maple Leafs 101-98 tonight.
After a back and forth tug in the early minutes of the contest, the Fire used a 11-3 run from the 12:06-8:42 mark of the first half to assert themselves out to a 29-19 lead.
However, the Maple Leafs retaliated with a 13-0 run of their own to take a 32-29 lead with 5:29 to go in the half.
With four lead changes in the last five minutes of play, Goshen ended the first half on a 6-0 run to take a 50-46 lead into the half. The Maple Leafs shot 60% from the field (18-30) and 55.7% from behind the arc in the first half, which helped them overcome being out-rebounded 24-10 in the first 20 minutes of action.
Junior forward Grant Bryant scored nine points and hauled in eight rebounds in the first half for the Fire on his way to recording his second double-double of the season (14 pts. 10 reb.). Senior guard Ryan Atkins led all scorers at the break with 16.
After battling from a deficit for the opening 9:44 of the second half, a drive to the basket by senior forward Isaac Barsh put the Fire up 71-70.
Barsh had a career night for Southeastern, setting SEU career highs in points scored (26), and field goals made (11). His 12 rebounds also earned him his fifth double-double with the Fire.
"I'm proud of the interior effort on the glass by Grant and Isaac tonight. We made it an emphasis to rebound the ball after last night's game," shared Head Coach
R-Jay Barsh.
Southeastern out-rebounded Goshen 48-25 on the night.
When it came down to crunch time for Southeastern, senior guard Ryan Atkins rose to the occasion. The Miami native scored 15 of his 22 second half points in the final 5:49 of play.
Atkins' 38 points scored on the night were the most scored by any SEU player since Andre Winston dropped 38 versus Embry Riddle (Fla.) on 3/3/15.
A pair of free throws by Atkins put the Fire up 101-98 over Goshen with seven seconds to play. The Maple Leafs missed the mark on a potential game tying three pointer as time expired to cement the SEU victory.
"It's great to have a guy like Ryan Atkins who can come in clutch for you down the stretch…I am proud of the entire team's effort and how we rallied to win this game," commented Barsh.
Junior guard Josiah Barsh was also a key contributor for the Fire, scoring 16. He is now averaging 18.3 over his last three contests. Senior guard CJ Reese recorded his second 10 assist game of the season.
The Fire will now hit the road for an exhibition contest versus NCAA Division I UNC Greensboro next Thursday. Tipoff is set for 5:00 p.m.
