Cougars Fall 75-56 to No. 23 Cedarville in AMC Play


	Cougar Basketball Game Recap Cougars Fall 75-56 to No. 23 Cedarville in AMC Play written by Dave Parsons, Sports Information Director Game Boxscore MOUNT VERNON, Ohio (1-19-2010) - The Mount Vernon Nazarene University men’s basketball team shot just 37.9 percent from the field and failed to hit a three-pointer for only the second time in a game in 23 years as the Cougars fell 75-56 to NAIA Division II No. 23 Cedarville University in American Mideast Conference action in the Physical Education Center on Tuesday night. Points were at a premium in the first half as the visiting Yellow Jackets (11-7, 3-2 AMC) led just 4-2 after the first five minutes of play. Then, MVNU (8-11, 1-6 AMC) rattled off six straight points capped by a dunk by junior guard Brandon Short to take an 8-4 lead at the 14:14 mark. The game went back and forth over the next nine minutes with three ties and four lead changes with the score knotted at 17-17 with 5:15 to go before the break. However, Cedarville used an 11-4 run to close the half as the Yellow Jackets took a 28-21 lead to the locker room. Sophomore forward Jordan Heatherly led the Cougars with six points, while Short came off the bench to toss in five first-half points. MVNU shot just 33.3 percent from the field (9-for-27), 37.5 percent from the free throw line (3-for-8), and missed all four of its three-point attempts. The Cougars also committed 10 turnovers and were out-rebounded 22-18. Matt Harner paced Cedarville with eight points in the first half, while Chris Beals added seven points. The Yellow Jackets shot 37 percent from the field (10-for-27), 40 percent from three-point range (6-for-15), and 40 percent from the free throw line (2-for-5). Cedarville’s lead ballooned to 34-23 with 17:17 left in the game, but consecutive baskets by senior post Bryce Sanborn, senior guard Austin Kaiser, and Heatherly closed the gap to 34-29 with 16:16 remaining. With MVNU still trailing just 43-36 with 11:18 to play, the Yellow Jackets used a 27-11 run to building a commanding 70-47 advantage with 3:59 to go. Beals led the surge with eight points, while Cedarville went 9-for-11 from the free throw line. From there, the Cougars could get no closer than 16 points on two occasions down the stretch as the Yellow Jackets prevailed 75-56. "Tonight was a tough one because I thought our team played with a great focus and intensity, but we just could never get established at the offensive end of the floor,” said MVNU coach Matt Moore. "(Cedarville) did a great job of closing out the first half as we struggled to finish plays. I was proud of our team in a lot of areas because we really caused them to make adjustments and take it to the next level. Unfortunately, when they did, we were not able to answer back.” Senior wing Travis Brown (right) led the Cougars with 14 points and a career-high four assists off the bench, while Heatherly finished with a career-high 12 points and four blocked shots. Taylor also contributed 11 points and four steals off the bench. MVNU shot 37.9 percent from the field (22-for-58) and 52.2 percent from the free throw line (12-for-23). After going 736 games with at least one three-pointer made, the Cougars had their second game in the past four without a trey as they went 0-for-8 from beyond the arc. The team also committed 19 turnovers and was out-rebounded 47-32. "Slowly over the past three or four games, Jordan has stepped into a solid post role for us at both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor,” said Moore. "Travis did a good job of aggressively attacking the basket, while Rob really put pressure on the ball. I truly thought our guys showed fight and a gritty effort despite shooting such a poor percentage.” Cedarville was led by Beals with 19 points, while Harner added 14 points. Ricardo Alliman, Austin Foote, and Brian Hecker also contributed eight points apiece with Alliman grabbing a game-high 11 rebounds and blocking four shots. The Yellow Jackets shot 43.1 percent from the field (25-for-58), 42.9 percent from three-point range (9-for-21), and 64 percent from the free throw line (16-for-25). Cedarville did commit 24 turnovers, but 13 offensive rebounds helped to combat those miscues. MVNU will return to action on Saturday when the Cougars will host the University of Northwestern Ohio at 7:30 p.m. MVNU fell 69-63 on the Racers’ home court last Saturday. "We now have a chance to play teams for a second time, which is the real test of a team’s character and will define really what kind of a team we are,” said Moore. "(Northwestern Ohio) didn’t get our best shot last week, so we have a great opportunity to show we belong and can compete against good teams. A great friend once told me, ‘Mama said there would be days like this.’ I am excited to get back to work tomorrow with our coaches and players.”

Site Map