Late Chicago State Run Propels Cougars over Eagles
11/27/2010 4:48:00 AM | Men's Basketball
SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, Texas - Chicago State used a 10-0 run to take the lead away from Georgia Southern and run to a 64-59 win at the South Padre Invitational Friday afternoon at the SPI Convention Center. Ben Drayton III (St. Mary's, Ga.) and Rory Spencer (Atlanta, Ga.) both had 13 points to lead the Eagles in scoring while Jelani Hewitt (Oakland Park. Fla.) grabbed a team-high seven rebounds.
Chicago State's Johnathon Montgomery, converting on two free-throws with three seconds left in the game to seal the win, was the leading game scorer with 17 points. Teammate Hajji Martin had a game-high 11 rebounds, including five on the offensive end.
The Cougars, who outscored Georgia Southern 17-4 in the last six minutes of play, took the lead 60-59 with 45 seconds left in the game, their first lead since 18:16 left in the first half. Hewitt's attempt from behind the arc would come up short as Chicago State's Montgomery grabbed the defensive rebound and was sent to the line to seal the win for Chicago State.
Eric Ferguson (Statesboro, Ga.) dished out a career-high five assists, while Marvin Baynham (Miami, Fla.) grabbed three steals, also a career-high. Drayton had a season-high six rebounds while Hewitt tied a career high in steals with four.
The Eagles jumped out to an 11-9 lead with 14:28 left in the first half and then went on a 12-3 run to pull ahead 23-12 with just under 10 minutes left in the half. The Cougars scored five straight before GSU put up 12 points to make it 35-19, the largest lead of the game for the Eagles, with 4:12 left in the first half. Georgia Southern took a double-digit lead into the locker room at halftime.
The Eagles shot 52 percent from the floor in the first half led by Spencer's 3-for-3 shooting and 11 first-half points. The senior poured in five points at the charity stripe.
Chicago State came out on fire in the second half, draining five shots from three-point land. A pair of three's for CSU's Victor Scott and Montgomery knotted the game at 44-all with 11:56 to go. The Eagles went on an 11-3 tear to lead by eight before the cougars outscored GSU 17-4 in the final six minutes of action.
Georgia Southern will conclude play in the South Padre Invitational Saturday, November 27th, as it plays Mississippi Valley State at 12:30 p.m. The Eagles have faced the Delta Devils on one other previous occasion, losing 64-61 on December 17, 1994 at the UAB Classic in Birmingham, Ala.
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