MOBILE, Ala. – A buzzer-beating opportunity was not meant to be Monday night as Spring Hill College fell to Kentucky State University, 83-81, in Arthur R Outlaw Recreation center.
Trailing 82-78 with 14 seconds to play, Spring Hill forced a turnover on the inbounds pass and quickly turned it into a 3-pointer by
Justin Allison from the left wing, assisted by
Jared Holland. Now a one-point game, 82-81, Spring Hill fouled to send Felix Wilson to the free throw line. He hit his first, but missed the second, rebounded by
Brandon Fischer with 9.7 to play. The Badgers pushed the ball up the floor and found Allison on the left wing. Defended well, he passed up the same look he hit previously, feeding it to Holland, whose 3-point look at the buzzer rattled around the cylinder and rolled out.
Spring Hill and Kentucky State traded leads off and on through the night with the Thorobreds leading by as many as six points, 31-25, with 7:50 to play in the first half. The Badgers tied it twice in the final four minutes of the opening half on baskets by
Gresyn Rogers and Holland, setting up a go-ahead layup by Allison, 40-38. Spring Hill carried a 47-44 lead into halftime and led for the first 15 minutes of the second half.
Ditalion Battle hit a 3 with a little over four minutes to play to give Kentucky State a 71-70 lead. While Holland answered with his own 3-pointer to put Spring Hill back in front, KSU eventually tied it at 74 and pushed back in front on an Austin Sherrell 3-pointer, the first of two Sherrell 3s to keep KSU in front in the final three minutes.
Sherrell finished with 17 points for KSU, which was led in scoring by Ditalion Battle's 30-point night. David Jelks scored 20 and Kevin Hayes added 11 points. Sherrell and Battle each grabbed nine rebounds.
Fischer led Spring Hill with 24 points and 15 rebounds, while posted a double-double with 19 points and 10 boards. Rogers and Holland finished with 16 and 15 points, respectively.
The loss drops Spring Hill to 7-15 on the year, 3-11 in Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) action with four games to play in the regular season. The Badgers will host Miles College in their home finale on Thursday night, Feb. 7, at 7:30 for Senior Night.
