Culver-Stockton hangs on late to edge UHSP

ST. LOUIS, MO – UHSP and Culver-Stockton got together for the second time this season at the UHSP Gymnasium. The Wildcats down the Eutectics in an early November meeting, but since then were stuck in a seven-game losing skid entering the contest on Friday night. This one was much tighter than their meeting earlier this year though. The Wildcats at one point led by 17, but the Eutectics used a late 6-0 run in a :37 second span to eventually cut the margin to five. UHSP missed a layup that would have cut it to three and Culver-Stockton hung on for a 77-72 win.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS:

CULVER-STOCKTON 77, UHSP 72

• It was a tough-sledding first half for the Eutectics as they shot 33% from the floor to C-SC's 42%. It was 14-11 in favor of the visitors after Brennen Walker made a free throw, but that's when the Cats went on a 16-3 run to build a 30-13 lead with 6:14 to go in the half. Demar Jenkins hit a pair of triples in that run for C-SC. At 33-20 though, UHSP saw Christian Harwood convert a lay-in, Braeden Jordan turned a steal into a dunk at the other end, Jordan grabbed another rebound and sprinted down-floor for a layup and Justin Coleman rocked the rim with a dunk off a Jasmin Suvalija steal as the Eutectics were within five at 33-28 with 1:53 to go in the half. The Wildcats led 36-28 at the half.
• Most of the second half hovered around a ten-point difference. C-SC extended it to 14 with 12:40 left on a Ramzi Salem three. Salem made the lead 15 with another triple with 10:58 remaining and then a Louie Yebra foul shot made it a 16-point margin. UHSP quickly got it back to manageable on a layup from Jordan with still 8:33 to go. It again hovered around a ten-point game until the late UHSP surge, but Culver-Stockton managed to limit the Eutectics to two field goals in the final :58 seconds and pull out the win.
• UHSP made two more field goals than C-SC (29 to 27), but shot 42.6% to the Cats' 45.8%.
• Each team made eight three-pointers but Culver-Stockton was 15-for-24 at the stripe while UHSP was just 6-of-10.
• The Cats outrebounded UHSP 44-33 but turned it over 19 times to the Eutectics' 15.
• Jasmin Suvalija was the high-water man for UHSP with a game-high 16 points as he made 4-of-9 from deep. He added four assists and four steals. Braeden Jordan added 13 points and a club-high seven boards.
• C-SC had five players in double figures for the second time this year against UHSP, this time led by Ramzi Salem's 14 points. Kamren Wires added 11 points, six boards and five steals.
• Alex Jackson IV had five points and a team-high ten rebounds for C-SC.
• Culver-Stockton improves to 4-1 all-time against UHSP.

NEXT UP:

It will be a make-up game against William Woods (4-6, 2-3 HEART) on Monday for the Eutectics (2-7, 0-0) as the game last Monday was postponed due to winter weather. After that, Oakland City comes to town on Thursday. Both games tip at 6:00p. UHSP will then play their AMC opener on Saturday on the road at Central Baptist at 3:00p.