NEW ALBANY, Ind. – A second-half surge propelled Indiana Southeast to a 62-59 victory over St. Mary-of-the-Woods College in a River States Conference men's basketball game on Wednesday night (Feb. 12) at the Ragsdale Center.
The Pomeroys (21-4, 11-2 RSC) held a 30-24 lead at halftime, but a 38-point second half by the Grenadiers (11-13, 6-7 RSC) was enough to edge past SMWC in the final minutes. SMWC is still in the driver's seat for the regular season championship and an automatic bid into the NAIA Nationals.
Top Performances
Greg Jenkins led the Pomeroys with 21 points, shooting 7-of-19 from the field, while grabbing nine rebounds and dishing out four assists. His offensive presence helped SMWC build their early lead. Teammate
DaMeriz Merriweather contributed nine points and seven rebounds, including a perfect 7-for-7 from the free-throw line.
Shon Tupuola added seven points and eight rebounds, while
Greg Johnson had six points and one assist in 37 minutes of action.
The Grenadiers were led by Lane Lauderbaugh, who scored a game-high 20 points, including 7 of 8 free throws. Ethan Haddaway chipped in 11 points, while Richard Lang provided a spark off the bench with 10 points on a perfect 5-for-5 shooting performance.
The Game
The Pomeroys shot 34% from the field, including just 18% from three-point range. However, they capitalized on free throws, going 19 of 24 (79.2%). The Grenadiers were more efficient, shooting 45.8% overall and 80% from the free-throw line.
The first basket of the game came at the 18:57 mark when
Ethan Haddaway converted a layup, giving Indiana Southeast a quick 2-point lead.
SMWC responded swiftly, with
Greg Jenkins hitting a pair of free throws at the 18:56 mark to tie the game at 2-all. As the teams settled into a rhythm,
St. Mary-Woods made a push, with a
Camden Pfeister 3-pointer putting them ahead 5-4 at 17:03. The pace continued to quicken, and by the 16-minute mark, both teams were rotating players and feeling the pressure.
Merriwether and
Taray Howell hit key shots for SMWC, while
Haddaway kept Indiana Southeast within reach. The biggest lead of the half came from St. Mary-Woods when
Greg Jenkins made a dunk at the 6:55 mark to give them a 23-15 advantage.
However, IU-Southeast stayed composed and responded with a quick 3-pointer by
Lane Lauderbaugh at the 4:34 mark, narrowing the gap to 24-17. They continued to battle, and
Lauderbaugh added a pair of free throws in the final minutes, cutting the lead to 30-24 as the clock wound down.
At the break, SMWC held a slight 30-24 edge, led by
Jenkins' strong all-around performance and key contributions from
Merriwether.
SMWC opened the second half with a strong start, pushing their lead to 36-26 after a layup by Tupuola. However, IU-Southeast responded quickly with a pair of baskets, including a fast-break layup from Lane Lauderbaugh, to close the gap to 38-36. Lauderbaugh continued to shine, scoring inside and hitting free throws, while Trent Hinkle also contributed with key jumpers.
The game took a dramatic turn with just under two minutes remaining. With the score tied at 59,
Greg Jenkins hit a crucial jumper to put SMWC up 61-59. IU-Southeast's Hinkle answered with a jumper of his own to tie the game at 59 with just over a minute left. However, free throws by Lauderbaugh and Hinkle in the closing seconds gave IUS the lead, as the Pomeroys couldn't capitalize on their final attempts.
Looking Ahead
The Pomeroys will look to rebound on Saturday, February 15, when they travel to IU-Columbus at 1 p.m. (ET). A victory would clinch the River States Conference regular-season title for SMWC.
