After last Friday’s big win over the Northern Kentucky Norse, the Bisons couldn’t overcome second half mistakes in a loss to conference rival Stetson.
Despite an early lead, the men’s basketball team (now 9-14, 4-8 in conference) fell 76-66 to the Hatters (10-14, 7-6 in conference).
Thursday night’s tough defeat saw sophomore Malcom Smith sustain an injury that led to his early exit.
The first half saw strong offensive and defensive play from the Bisons. The team led 34-26 at the break, with senior Deonte Alexander already having scored 14.
The second half, however, saw an opening 9-0 run by the Hatters that set a precedent for the visiting team. Stetson pulled ahead soon after and never let go of the lead.
Alexander led the Bisons in scoring with 21, and junior Khion Sankey led the team in rebounding with seven. Freshman Stephen Hurt had 12 points and five rebounds.
Hurt said he felt that the best play came in the first half, but the second half represented a different story.
“In the second half, we just came out flat,” Hurt said.
Coach Scott Sanderson agreed with Hurt’s assessment, hoping that the team learns to put a full performance together in the face of adversity.
“It’s a learning process for our guys,” Sanderson said.
The team will face a quick turnaround, hosting Florida Gulf Coast on Saturday at 6:30 p.m.
Hurt hopes the Bisons can improve on both offense and defense headed into the weekend’s match-up.
“We’ve got to have the same intensity. We’ve got to be consistent.”
Photo credit: Whitney Jarreld