GREENVILLE, Ill. – The men's basketball team put together its highest-scoring offensive performance of the season but came up just short in a wild, back-and-forth shootout Wednesday night, falling 136-133 to Concordia Chicago at H.J. Long Gymnasium.
The two teams combined for 269 points, 13 ties, and 13 lead changes in a game that featured relentless pace from start to finish.
Greenville held a 69-65 halftime advantage after knocking down 11 three-pointers in the opening half, but Concordia Chicago (1-2) answered by shooting an astounding 74.4 percent from the field after the break to steal the victory.
Greenville placed six players in double figures, led by
Jeremiah Collins' 22 points and eight rebounds.
Isaiah Goad added 21 points, connecting on four three-pointers, while
Caleb Johnson scored 15 points.
Jacob Ruscher drained five three-pointers and finished with 15 points, and
Kayshaun Hunte contributed 13 points and six assists.
Kavious Johnson added 12 points.
The Panthers connected on 18-of-57 attempts from three-point range and forced 25 Concordia turnovers, turning those miscues into 32 points. Greenville also finished with 28 assists.
After trailing by as many as 13 points in the second half, Greenville battled back and tied the game at 100-100 on a pair of Collins free throws with 10:07 remaining. The Panthers later took a 107-106 lead on a Ruscher three-pointer with 8:02 left, but Concordia answered with a 17-8 run to regain control.
Greenville trimmed the deficit to two points twice in the final minute, including 133-131 after an
Elijah Goad jumper with 57 seconds left.
Concordia responded with a layup and a late free throw to extend the margin to three.
Hunte's layup cut the deficit back to 136-133 with 13 seconds remaining, but Greenville's final three-point attempt at the buzzer was off the mark.
The Panthers finished the night shooting 45.3 percent from the field and 73.1 percent at the free-throw line while outrebounding Concordia on the offensive glass, 17-14.
Greenville (0-3) will look for its first victory of the season in its next outing at Bethel (MN) on Friday evening.
