Sanders' shot rescues Red Wolves from Eagles' clutches
Sanders' shot rescues Red Wolves from Eagles' clutches
PIPPA PASSES, Ky. - Same situation. Same shot. And same result - a Red Wolves win.
Senior guard David Sanders (Indianapolis, Ind./Beech Grove High School) made a tie-breaking 10-foot floater with six seconds remaining to lift the Indiana University East men's basketball team to an 80-76 Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference win at Alice Lloyd College on Jan. 21.
The NAIA Division II No. 11 Red Wolves improved to 18-5 overall and 5-1 in the KIAC.
The Eagles fell to 10-9 overall and 2-3 in the KIAC.
Sanders also made the game-winning shot when IU East won at Alice Lloyd during the 2008-09 season.
"It was the same basket, the same play, same everything," said IU East coach Mark Hester. "We're used to that from Dave in this gym."
Sanders scored the winning points on a 10-foot shot from the left side of the lane, putting IU East ahead 78-76.
"We had a similar play my freshman year, and I knew I would get the ball with time winding down," said Sanders, who has now made at least five game-tying or game-winning shots in his Red Wolves career.
"I knew I would be coming off of the screen-roll and was going to make the play, either score or dish. They play was to shoot the floater, and the floater went in."
IU East forced a turnover on the ensuring Alice Lloyd possession, and junior guard Marcus Isaac (Indianapolis, Ind./Purdue University North Central) made two free throws to clinch the win.
(It was an ending much less frantic than when Sanders made his go-ahead shot at Alice Lloyd in 2008. That year Sanders immediately stole the inbounds pass and threw the ball high in the air to allow time to expire - except eight seconds still remained and Alice Lloyd nearly had time for a game winning shot of its own.)
Sanders' shot capped the Red Wolves' rally from a seven-point deficit in the final 15 minutes.
Sophomore guard Matt Trimnell (Seymour, Ind./Seymour High School) scored all 18 of his points in the second half.
Isaac and freshman forward Huston Clark (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo High School) added 17 points apiece.
IU East's 21-9 advantage in point off turnovers offset foul trouble that sidelined much of the Red Wolves' starting lineup late in the first half and Alice Lloyd's 42-34 rebounding advantage.
"It wasn't our best game at all, but we battled," Sanders said.
Shawn Thompson led Alice Lloyd with 21 points.
The second half featured six ties and five lead changes.
IU East plays Jan. 26 at KIAC opponent Cincinnati Christian University. Tipoff is at 7 p.m.
Click here for the IU East-Alice Lloyd box score
Live video of the game is scheduled to be available at www.iueredwolves.com.