CLARKSVILLE, Ark. - The Gents rallied from a 17-point first half deficit and from a nine-point second half deficit to take the lead, but the Eagles scored the final five points in a tight game as Centenary (2-4) fell to the University of the Ozarks (4-0) 92-86 Thursday night, December 1.
Down 28-11 with 9:59 left in the first half, Centenary scored 21 unanswered in 4:33 span to take a four-point lead. Freshman Cedric Harris, who scored a career high 26 points on 11-for-15 shooting, started the run with a pair of threes. Senior James Sapp then took a defensive rebound straight to the goal for the fastbreak hoop. In a minute span, the deficit was cut to single digits.
Sapp recorded his third double-double of the season with 24 points and 12 boards. He also hit all eight free throws on the night.
After a missed jumper by Sapp, the only missed shot in the run for the Gents, Harris grabbed the offensive board and sophomore Treylan Matthews buried a three. Freshman KJ Boyd then grabbed a defensive board and fed Matthews for the fastbreak hoop while being fouled. He completed the three-point play to bring Centenary within one possession.
Boyd snatched another rebound and fed Harris for the fastbreak hoop to cut the deficit to 28-27. Boyd finished the game with eight assists and seven rebounds against just one turnover. After a Harris jumper, an old-fashioned three by Boyd - his only points of the game - put Centenary up 32-28 with 6:06 left in the first half.
During the run, Centenary scored on eight-straight possessions, connecting on 8-of-9 shots from the field.
Ozarks led 47-43 at half and 84-80 with 1:49 left, but Sapp made a pair of free throws on back-to-back possessions to tie the game. Sapp later made a jumper to cut the deficit to 87-86, but the Eagles made 5-of-6 from the line to ice the game.
While Centenary used a 55-11 advantage in bench points, 4-of-5 Eagles' starters reached double figures. Josh Berard scored a game-best 31 points, including 24 in the first half alone. Jace Richardson added 17 points, while Dylan Gray contributed 14.
The only starter who failed to reach double digits, Pete Barber, led the Eagles with 10 boards and three blocks.
Centenary returns to action Saturday, December 3, when it takes on Stephen F. Austin. Tip from Nacogdoches, Texas, is scheduled for 2 p.m. and will be live on ESPN3.
