Spartan men win in overtime

CNA photo by BEN FROTSCHER Going under: SouthwesternÕs Tyler Raasch looks for a layup in the lane during second half play Monday night.

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It wasn’t necessarily ending on a solid note for the Southwestern men’s basketball team Monday night, but the Spartans went into Christmas break with a hard-earned win. Terrance Morgan was one of five players in double-figures with 24 points as the Spartans edged Southeast Nebraska in overtime, 77-71. “We executed well enough to win tonight, but our execution level wasn’t very high,” said Southwestern coach Jerry Drymon. “They had us down 47-37 and we kept battling back. We took the lead, but didn’t do a very good job of making free throws.” The Spartans (7-2 overall) shot 29 more free throws than the Storm, but were just 26-of-45 in the game and a disappointing 9-of-24 in the second half. Southeast Nebraska was 8-of-16 for the game. Making free throws would have made a rally easier for the Spartans in the second half. The Storm jumped out to a 7-1 run, building a 33-32 halftime lead to 40-33 after a Jace Fredenberg putback. The lead grew to 10 points on a Tywain Hill dunk with 11:50 remaining. Rally Southwestern responded with an 11-3 run, cutting the deficit to 50-48 with 8:07 remaining. Just one minute later, a shot by Morgan gave the Spartans a 53-52 lead. “We had some guys that just didn’t want to lose,” said Drymon. “To be a good team in this league, you have to win at home against good teams and we found a way to battle back.” The lead grew to 62-58 after Tyler Raasch connected on 2-of-4 technical foul shots when Storm coach Joel Wooten was ejected from the game, but that seemed to spark Southeast Nebraska. After the Spartans pushed the lead to 66-58, the Storm ended regulation on an 8-0 run — with Anthony Calhoun making 1-of-2 free throws with one second left to force overtime. Overtime After each team turned the ball over to start overtime, Royce Phillips tipped in a missed shot to give the Spartans the early 68-66 lead just 35 seconds into the extra frame. After an Anthony Calhoun hook shot tied the game back up, Raasch gave the Spartans a two-point advantage after a pair of free throws. Southeast Nebraska responded yet again with a 3-pointer from Jay Duncan with 1:28 remaining, giving the Storm a 71-70. But this time, Southwestern put the game away. The Spartans ended the final 88 seconds on a 7-0 run — connecting on 5-of-7 free throws and getting a layin from Phillips, who scored 10 points in the game. Also in double-figures were Raasch with 13, Laurice Ellison adding 12 and Will Wilson with 10. “Will and Jamahl DePriest stepped up and did a nice job tonight,” said Drymon. “That’s what you have to have to be a good team, players stepping up when we are shorthanded.” Anthony Davis, a 6-10 sophomore center, is out with a sprained ankle. Ryckey Harper is out with a stress fracture as well. In the first half, the two teams were caught in a tight battle. Southwestern and Southeast Nebraska were tied eight times in the first half, with the lead changing six times. The largest lead for either team was three points. Southeast Nebraska took an early 5-2 lead on a Duncan 3-pointer, but the Spartans responded to take a 17-14 lead after a Wilson three-point play. Morgan had 13 points in the first half, but the Spartans trailed by one at intermission. SOUTHEAST (71) — Tywain Hill 6 1-2 14, Anthony Calhoun 6 1-2 13, Richard Marion 5 3-4 13, Jay Duncan 5 0-2 12, Jace Fredenberg 4 1-2 10, Schyulor Pugh 2 1-2 5, Goldeng Deng 1 0-0 2, Ben Cruickshanck 0 1-2 1. Totals — 29 8-16 71. 3-point goals — 4 (Duncan 2, Hill 1, Fredenberg 1). Team fouls — 25. Fouled out — Pugh. Technical fouls — Coach Joel Wooten 2. SOUTHWESTERN (77) — Terrance Morgan 8 8-15 24, Tyler Raasch 3 6-8 13, Laurice Ellison 5 2-2 12, Will Wilson 4 2-5 10, Royce Phillips 4 2-2 10, Kristian Williams 0 3-6 3, Jamahl DePriest 1 1-3 3, Chris Santiago 0 2-4 2. Totals — 25 26-45 77. 3-point goals — 1 (Raasch 1). Rebounds — 42 (Phillips 11, Ellison 10, Williams 8). Assists — 15 (Williams 7). Steals — 9 (Ellison 3). Blocked shots — 5 (Ellison 3). Turnovers — 17. Team fouls — 15. Fouled out — None. SECC — 33 66 71 SWCC — 32 66 77 —————— Ben Frotscher can be reached at 782-2141, ext. 246 or bfrotscher@crestonnews.com