MARSHALL, Mo. – The Central Methodist University men's basketball program fell to Missouri Valley in a gritty road clash on Thursday evening, ending the contest with a 59-58 decision.
The game was a wire-to-wire thriller in front of a boisterous crowd in Burns Athletic Complex. The Eagles stretched out a nine point lead, their largest of the night, midway through the first half after a 15-5 run. Missouri Valley was able to chip away at the deficit throughout the remainder of the frame
Teams continued to trade baskets back and forth in the second half until a run by the Vikings created a 12 point deficit for CMU with five minutes remaining. The Eagles rattled off 13-1 run through the next three minutes of play to cut the lead. Both teams had good looks down the stretch to seal the win, but neither team was able to net a basket in the final two minutes and Central was left trailing by one tick at the final buzzer.
James Byrd II (SR/Kansas City, Mo.) and Kyle McDermed (JR/Frankfort, Ill.) led the way offensively, each posting 15 points in the contest. Byrd collected five rebounds and three assists while McDermed nabbed five rebounds and dished out two assists.
INSIDE THE BOX:
- Teams were nearly even from the floor, both shooting about 38 percent
- Central held a strong advantage from long range, notching a 35 percent finish while holding the Vikings to just 18 percent
- Missouri Valley won the battle of the boards at a 44-32 margin
- Both teams surrendered 14 turnovers and converted for 16 points on the opposite end of the floor
OTHER NOTABLE PERFORMERS:
- Josh Robinson (SR/Normal, Ill.) – 11 points, 4 assists
- Rijnard Hartman (JR/Magaliesburg, South Africa) – 6 points, 10 rebounds
- Seth Stegeman (SR/Jefferson City, Mo.) – 6 points, 2 rebounds
UP NEXT:
Central will head to Evangel University on February 5th for a conference contest on the road. Game time is set for 7:30 PM in Springfield, Mo.
