Above photo: Josh Goings had 9 rebounds and 5 assists in UMHB’s seven-point loss on Saturday (File photo by Russell Marwitz/russellmarwitz.com)
LEXINGTON, Kentucky — On the road for the second straight weekend, UMHB men’s basketball struggled down the stretch of its opening game at the Don Lane Classic on Saturday, falling to host Transylania, 70-63.
The Cru, now 8-3 overall, have lost back-to-back games for the first time this season. Transy extended its win streak to five, as the Pioneers are 3-0 at home and 6-3 overall.
Transy led for 69.0% of the contest, taking back the lead with 9:10 left after UMHB went up by as many as five midway through the second half. The Cru’s last lead came on Jerry Day’s jumper with 6:32 remaining, but Hunter Penn countered for the Pioneers on the ensuing possession, and Transy never trailed from that point on.
Impact Contributors
Josh Goings played 30 minutes for UMHB, finishing second on the team in efficiency, at 10.0. The Salado native struggled shooting the ball, going just 2-of-13 from the field, but grabbed a team-high nine rebounds, dished out a team-best five assists, turned it over just once, and was one of two Crusaders with two steals.
For Transy, Colby Napier put up 24 points, shooting 7-of-17 from 3-point range. The senior guard played a team-high 38 minutes, and is now averaging 18.0 points per game.
Key Moment
With 2:23 left, UMHB’s Maurice Pinnock drained a 3-pointer from the right wing, cutting Transy’s lead to one, 62-61. But Transy answered with a 7-0 run, scoring five of those seven points at the free throw line. The Cru missed its next three shots, held scoreless until B.J. Anderson’s layup with nine seconds left. By that point, the game was decided, with the Pioneers leading 69-63.
Notable Stat
UMHB shot a season-low 30.7% from the field, and just 20.5% (9-of-44) in the second half. It was an uncharacteristic shooting performance for a squad that shot 40.0% or better in nine of its 10 games coming into Saturday’s matchup, and also marked the first time this season that The Cru scored fewer than 70 points in a contest.
Up Next
UMHB closes the Don Lane Classic on Sunday, facing the loser of Albion and Wabash. Albion is 4-3 overall, Wabash is 4-4 overall.
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