MOBILE, Ala. - Spring Hill College stayed with Lane College for the first 20 minutes of their Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference matchup Thursday night at the Arthur R. Outlaw Recreation Center, trailing by just six points at halftime.
However, a slow second-half start doomed the Badgers and Lane soon took control to earn an 81-68 victory, the Dragons' fourth win in their last five games.
Lane (12-8, 9-5) led 22-15 with 9:39 to go in the first half after a layup by De'marik Brown, but Spring Hill (6-15, 2-10) scored eight straight points in just more minutes to go up 23-22 on a layup by
Brandon Fischer. A pair of free throws by
Justin Allison gave the Badgers a 26-24 advantage with 6:49 remaining before halftime, but that was the last lead
Spring Hill would have, as the Dragons closed the half with a 17-9 run to take a 41-35 lead into the break.
Terrace Holt led Lane with 10 points and Dante Mitchell had eight points and four rebounds for the Dragons, who overcame a 1-for-12 start from 3-point range by making 12 of their 19 shots (63.2 percent) from inside the arc in the opening 20 minutes.
Justin Allison kept the Badgers close, scoring 19 points on 5-of-9 shooting (3-of-7 from 3-point range) overall and going 6-for-6 at the free-throw line.
The Dragons widened their advantage to 23 points, at 59-36 with 14:04 remaining, by opening the second half with an 18-1 run as Spring Hill went over six minutes without a field goal.
Jeffery Pharr made a layup with 13:52 to go to make it 59-38 Lane. Spring Hill did rally and eventually got within 10 at 78-68 after a layup by
Gresyn Rogers with 1:15 left, but the Dragons were able to hold on for the win.
Kendarius Ash led five double-digit scorers for the Dragons with 19 points, seven rebounds, three assists, two blocks and two steals. Mitchell had 14 and five rebounds, De'marik Brown pitched in 12 and four rebounds and Holt and Brandon Dansoh had 10 apiece for Lane.
Allison had a game-high 24 points and six rebounds to lead Spring Hill and Rogers chipped in 12 and four rebounds for the Badgers, who were limited to 37.3 percent shooting (22-for-59) overall, including 9-for-29 (31.0 percent) from 3-point range.
Spring Hill continues its late-season, four-game homestand on Saturday as it hosts Central State in another SIAC matchup. Central State won the season's first meeting, 69-56, in Wilberforce, Ohio, back on Jan. 20. Saturday's game, which will be streamed on ESPN3 and is a part of Spring Hill's Breast Cancer Awareness Day, will tip off at 4 p.m. at the Arthur R. Outlaw Recreation Center.
