The men's basketball program at Shawnee State sealed up the second game of a doubleheader in strong fashion as the Bears held the No. 18-ranked Life (Ga.) men's basketball program to 32.7 percent shooting and had six players score at least eight points or more in a 61-50 victory that allowed both SSU basketball programs to collect victories over the Running Eagles in Mid-South Conference action at Waller Gymnasium.
In addition to outshooting Life by collecting a 38.4 percent shooting mark from the field, Shawnee State (8-3, 1-1 MSC) outrebounded the Running Eagles by a 38-26 mark on the glass, collected 12 assists to Life's five, and collected five blocks and four steals as a team compared to the Running Eagles' three blocks and a steal in the contest.
The Bears also had four players who collected at least six or more rebounds in the victory, with Kyree Elder matching or setting team-highs in points (14), rebounds (nine) and assists (six), and held Life's Antwan Maxwell, who averaged 18.1 points and 11.6 rebounds coming into the game, to 10 points and eight rebounds on 4-of-16 shooting from the field.
From the outset, Shawnee State proved to be red-hot from the field as the Bears, who jumped out to a 4-0 lead over the game's first 75 seconds, also collected a pair of treys from Tim Biakapia and one long range connection apiece from Elder and Desmond Crosby, Jr. en route to building the lead.
Elder, who posted nine points in the opening half, added in five rebounds and a steal while Biakapia's eight points and five rebounds allowed Shawnee State to take its game-high lead of 14 points, 30-16, at the halftime break.
In the second half of competition, Life (9-2, 0-2 MSC) worked the lead down to a nine-point gap, but when Justin Johnson scored on an up-and-under with 10:11 to go, Shawnee State pushed the lead back to double-digits, where the margin remained at throughout the remainder of the contest.
Selby Hind-Wills scored six points in the second half -- including four in consecutive fashion -- while EJ Onu nailed a trey with just over five minutes to play and Justin Johnson scored inside with three minutes to go to increase Shawnee State's lead to a 56-39 margin. Crosby, Jr.'s second three-pointer of the contest pushed the SSU lead to a 60-42 margin -- the Bears' largest lead of the game -- in the win.
Along with Elder's output, Johnson's 12 points, Biakapia's 10 points and six rebounds, Onu's nine points, four rebounds and two blocks, and eight points apiece from Crosby, Jr. and Hind-Wills allowed the Bears to keep Life's defense off-kilter throughout the contest. Hind-Wills also matched Elder for the team-lead with nine rebounds in the contest.
The men's basketball program will be back in action on Tuesday evening when Shawnee State takes on Rio Grande in a rivalry matchup that will be held in Rio Grande. Game time will commence at 7 p.m.
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