MOBILE, Ala. – The Spring Hill College men's basketball team notched a 85-83 win over Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) foe Kentucky State at the Arthur R. Outlaw Recreation Center on Monday night.
Spring Hill had scored 10 of the games first 14 points while being led by
Isaiah Veal. The Badgers led the Thorobreds 10-6 by the first media break.
SHC went on a 13-2 lead over the next two-and-a-half minutes led by
Walter Peggs Jr. The Badgers grew their lead over Kentucky State to as much as 19 points at one point.
The Badgers never looked back and held on to the lead for the rest of the half. After scoring 10 of its 18 points off turnovers during that half, SHC led 49-44 going into halftime.
The second half was more closely contested than the first. KSU opened it up by regaining the lead in the first two minutes. Less than a minute later though, SHC took it right back on a layup by Veal.
All eight instances of the score tying came in the second half, with both teams going back-and-forth. In the end, a 5-3 run in the final two minutes of the game would give the Badgers the edge in their 85-83 win over the Thorobreds.
Isaiah Veal led the game in scoring with a career-high 37 points while going 10-21 from the floor and 15-18 from the free throw line.
Timothy Reilly crashed the glass and led the game with 11 rebounds and three blocks.
Game Details
Date: Jan. 16
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Venue (Location): Arthur R. Outlaw Recreation Center (Mobile, Ala.)
Results
Spring Hill 85, Kentucky State 83
Records: Spring Hill (9-7, 6-4 SIAC), Spring Hill (4-10, 1-9 SIAC)
They Said It
Head Coach Craig Kennedy
On the game
"What a fun game and what back-to-back fun games. Our crowd was fantastic! Our student support was just awesome and that's so important to our guys, because they work so hard. I got here this morning [at] 6:45, first guy in the gym was
Isaiah Veal working on his game. We preach this all the time about work ethic and attitude. It's the only thing you can control in life and they're starting to see – man, when I work on the right things, I'm getting dividends. Tim [
Timothy Reilly], I challenged him from the last game to improve, to work harder, be tougher. [Tonight] comes out and grabs 11 rebounds, I mean that was absolutely huge tonight, a bunch of blocked shots. Man, I'm so proud of these guys.
Georgios Kostikas, who played for us a couple of years ago messaged me and he said 'Your guys have grit' and that's how they played tonight, really, really proud of them.
On the three-game road swing ahead
"It's fun, because we're not going to be stale. It's nice being at home, in one way, but, the other way, you have to go to classes every day, you're eating in the same place. Whereas, you go on the road, the environment changes, we get to control more of it as coaches and then it becomes a bit of an adventure for our guys. We're going to plan something special, because we're going to Memphis. Today being Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we will go to Lorraine Hotel, talk about the history, the social justice that Spring Hill College supported and how important it is that we treat everybody the way we want to be treated."
Timothy Reilly (Center, Jr.)
On the game
"It was a great team win. Coach told us we got to group rebound, so that was a big emphasis I was focusing on and grabbed a few out there, so that was good. Then, we just played together. It was fun with the fans, everyone coming out. It was a good team win."
On traveling with his team after a homestand
"Like Coach said, it's a different environment for sure, in that we won't have our fans out here. We'll have people rooting against us and saying whatever, but it's fun going over there too, winning games."
Isaiah Veal (Point Guard, R-Sr.)
On his and his team's performance
"I feel like I had a great performance tonight and I'm blessed to have the teammates that I have. They trust me to take the shots I take, to make decisions on the court and Coach does too. I just want to say thank you to the fans, faculty and everyone who came out tonight and supported us. We needed it big time, especially in the crunch. I just think that this was really big going into the road trip we have at Lane and LeMoyne-Owen, so go Badgers."
On traveling with his team
"With our team, I feel like we're home anywhere we go. As long as we have each other, stay connected and communicate, any gym we go into, we play and we're getting the chance to play basketball and be with each other. Have these great discussions on the bus and at dinners. Coach tells us about not using our phones at dinner or lunch or anything and just really communicate with each other and get to know one another. That makes us so strong, that even when we're away it still feels like a home game."
Up Next
The Badgers will hit the road on Saturday to begin a three-game road swing at Lane.
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