PERU STATE, Neb. – The Central Methodist University men's basketball program earned a crucial road win at Peru State on Saturday afternoon.
The back-and-forth affair saw nine ties and 14 lead changes, but Central was able to ride out the waves of momentum to a conference victory. The first half remained tight throughout the frame as neither team led by more than two possessions, but the Eagles entered the intermission with a slight two point advantage. Central stretched its lead to as many as 10 points in the second half and held off a late comeback attempt by the Bobcats to earn the win.
James Byrd II (SR/Kansas City, Mo.) led all scorers in the contest with a 27 point performance. He went 11-for-25 from the field, including four shots from long range, and nabbed six rebounds. Teammate Seth Stegeman (SR/Jefferson City, Mo.) followed with 12 points off of the bench.
INSIDE THE BOX:
- Teams were nearly even from the floor, both shooting in the low-40% range
- Central won the rebounding battle at a 38-32 margin, finishing +5 in the offensive boards column
- The Eagles forced 10 turnovers on the night and collected five steals
NOTABLE PERFORMERS:
- James Byrd II – 27 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists
- Seth Stegeman – 12 points, 3 3PT
- Rijnard Hartman (JR/Magaliesburg, South Africa) – 11 points, 10 rebounds
- Josh Robinson (SR/Normal, Ill.) – 9 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists
UP NEXT:
The Eagles will head north to face No. 18 William Penn on Wednesday, February 19th. Tipoff is set for 7:30 PM in Oskaloosa, Iowa.
