Portsmouth, Ohio – Shawnee State men's basketball opened their season on Friday night, defeating Miami-Middletown 95-79.
The Bears would struggle for much of the first half, only shooting 41% from the field. Miami-Middletown would lead by as many as 11 before the Bears would close the gap and take the lead back. A late ThunderHawks run would tie the game at 40-40 to end the half. Jayllen Carter (JR/Portsmouth, Ohio) led SSU in scoring with 19 in the half.
The second half would see the Bears get out in front and pull away late, shooting 64% from the field in the half. The Bears' defense would tighten up, holding Miami-Middletown to 36% from the field in the second half.
Jayllen Carter's 24 points led the team in scoring. Fred Moore would add a double-double with 22 points and 10 rebounds, and Jacob Daniels (SR/Peebles, Ohio) would get 18 and 10 for one of his own. Tamal Watkins (FR/Columbus, Ohio) would have a good debut, scoring 17 points and notching eight assists. Cooper Nolte would lead all scorers for Miami-Middletown, logging 28 points.
The win moves Shawnee State to 1-0 on the young season. Miami-Middletown falls to 0-1.
The Bears are next in action on Saturday, October 29th when they travel to Circleville, Ohio to take on Ohio Christian. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00pm.
