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Cougar Basketball Game Recap
Cougars Knock off No. 18 Daemen 67-66 for
Important AMC Win
written by Dave Parsons, Sports Information Director
Game Boxscore
AMHERST, N.Y. (1-9-2010) - The Mount Vernon
Nazarene University got two free throws from
junior guard Brandon Short with 8.6 seconds
to go as the Cougars pulled out an important
American Mideast Conference road win at NAIA
Division II No. 18 Daemen (N.Y.) College on
Saturday afternoon despite not making at
least one three-pointer in a game for the
first time in 23 years.
 MVNU
(8-8, 1-3 AMC) got off to a good start in
the game as the Cougars built a 16-6 lead by
the 10:21 mark as junior post Adam Grimm
scored eight early points and senior center
Bryce Sanborn (left) added six
points.
With MVNU holding a 22-13 advantage with
7:45 left in the half, the host Wildcats
(10-6, 3-1 AMC), who were 64-14 at home over
the past eight years entering Saturday’s
game, went on a 16-6 run to close the half
by taking their first lead of the game 29-28
to the locker room at the break.
Grimm and sophomore guard Robbie Taylor led
the Cougars with eight first-half points
apiece with Sanborn adding six points and
five rebounds. MVNU shot 38.2 percent from
the field (13-for-34), missed all eight of
its three-point attempts, and went 2-for-4
at the free throw line. The Cougars did post
a 27-14 advantage in rebounds, though, to
help offset nine first-half turnovers.
Devon Dawson paced Daemen with eight points
and five rebounds in the first half, while
D.J. Johnson added five points. The Wildcats
shot 28.6 percent from the field (8-for-28),
16.7 percent from three-point range
(2-for-12), and 78.6 percent from the free
throw line (11-for-14).
Daemen opened the second half by stretching
its lead out to six points on four different
occasions - the last of which came at 49-43
with 10:20 left in the game after a
three-point play by Khorri Silcott.
At that point, MVNU went on a 10-0 run to
take a 53-49 lead with 6:50 to go as Sanborn
scored four points and three other Cougars
added two points apiece.
The first of four ties down the stretch
happened at 55-55 with 5:39 left on the
clock, and a three-pointer by Johnson with
4:14 to go gave the Wildcats a 58-57 lead to
start what would be a string of 10 straight
lead changes to close the game as neither
team would get more than a one-point lead
the rest of the way.
As the teams traded baskets down the
stretch, MVNU found itself trailing 66-65
after a jumper by Dawson with 20 seconds
remaining put the Wildcats back on top.
With time winding down, Short was fouled
with 8.6 seconds remaining and awarded a
one-and-one free throw opportunity. The 62
percent shooter on the year heading into the
game who was 3-for-5 at the line in the game
leading up to that point calmly hit both
free throws to give the Cougars a 67-66
lead. MVNU was able to hold on to that lead
as the buzzer sounded to give the Cougars a
big conference road win over a ranked
opponent.
"We played great team basketball tonight,”
said MVNU coach Matt Moore. "I am extremely
proud of each player and the roles they
played. We had to overcome some tough calls
and our guys played through the foul
disparity.”
Sanborn led the Cougars with game highs of
20 points and 10 rebounds as he went
10-for-12 from the field. Short finished
with 17 points, while Taylor tossed in 12
points with four assists. Grimm also scored
10 points. MVNU shot 49.1 percent from the
field for the game (28-for-57) including
65.2 percent in the decisive second half
(15-for-23). The Cougars did see their
streak of 736 games with at least one
three-pointer made come to an end as they
went 0-for-9 from beyond the arc to finish
without a trey for the first time in a game
since January 24, 1987 against Urbana
University - a feat that happened during the
inaugural season for the three-point shot.
The Cougars also shot 73.3 percent from the
free throw line (11-for-15) and used a 42-26
rebounding advantage to offset a 16-8
disparity in turnovers.
"Bryce was a man among boys in the second
half and Brandon was clutch in the closing
offensive possessions, which is something we
have not done a very good job of
previously,” said Moore.
Jorge Ebanks led Daemen with 15 points,
while Johnson finished with 14 points and
Dawson added 13 points and six rebounds. The
Wildcats shot just 35 percent from the field
(21-for-60), 22.7 percent from three-point
range (5-for-22), and 82.6 percent from the
free throw line (19-for-23).
MVNU will return to action on Tuesday when
the Cougars will play its second straight
game against a ranked opponent when NAIA
Division II No. 2 Walsh University (14-1,
4-0 AMC) comes to town for a 7:30 p.m.
conference game.
"This is just the confidence builder we need
with a quality opponent coming in Tuesday in
Walsh,” said Moore.
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