IU Southeast Men's Basketball Advances to NAIA Second Round
IU Southeast Men's Basketball Advances to NAIA Second Round
POINT LOOKOUT, Mo. – The No. 3 seed IU Southeast men's basketball team survived a scare from Tabor College on Thursday night and defeated the Bluejays 77-75 to advance to the second round of the NAIA Division II Men's Basketball National Championship.
The Grenadiers (26-4) closed the game on a 7-0 run to pull out the victory. Kevin Mitchell and Aishon White were aggressive driving to the basket and sparked the offense late. The IU Southeast defense got key stops down the stretch and forced the turnover that led to a foul on Aishon White who hit two free throws to seal the win.
IU Southeast was 0-of-8 from three-point range which stalled the offense in the second half. The Grenadiers led by as many as nine points in the second half before Tabor cut into the lead.
Tabor led by five points with 2:30 left to play but Kevin Mitchell and White took over offensively. White and Mitchell scored the final seven points of the game and hit clutch free throws down the stretch. White was 4-of-4 from the line in the second half while Kevin was 3-of-4.
The Grenadier defense did not allow held Tabor scoreless from the field for the final 3:41 of the game.
Greg Magee led the Grenadiers with 18 points, Kevin Mitchell added 17, Aishon White had 12, Cameron Mitchell had 11 and Vernon Payne had 10 points for IU Southeast. The IU Southeast bench outscored Tabor 31-17 behind the play of Magee and White.
Lance Carter had 19 points for Tabor.
IU Southeast will face Robert Morris (Ill.) at 6:45 pm ET Friday night in the second round of the tournament.
- article courtesy of IU Southeast, http://www.iusathletics.com/article/966.php