GEORGETOWN, Texas - The Gents trailed 7-6 early, but 16 unanswered by the Pirates proved too much as Centenary (8-11, 2-6 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference) dropped its third-straight game with an 89-80 loss at Southwestern (10-9, 5-3 SCAC) Friday night, January 27.
Down 45-31 with 3:13 left in the first half, a 14-5 run brought the Gents back within five at the intermission. Freshman Cedric Harris hit back-to-back threes to prove to be the catalyst of the push. After Southwestern hit a pair from the line, Sapp hit a jumper and converted an old-fashioned three to bring Centenary within five. Chris Molina tripled for Southwestern, but junior KJ Boyd answered with a three of his own at the buzzer to bring the Gents within 50-45 at the break.
The SCAC leading scorer, Sapp scored 33 points to raise his season average to 22.4 points per game.
Both teams shot well in the first half as Centenary went 17-for-34 (50 percent) and Southwestern 18-for-33 (54.5 percent). The Pirates cooled off in the second half, hitting 11-for-28 (39.3 percent), but Centenary only shot 35.9 percent (14-for-39) and could not complete the comeback.
Down 81-66 with less than three minutes left, Centenary scored nine unanswered in a minute to pull within six. Sapp hit a pair of jumpers and junior Travion Kirkendoll added a pair from the line. Sapp capped the run with a three, and Centenary trailed 81-75 with 1:49 left.
However, Southwestern hit 6-of-8 from the charity stripe to thwart the Gents comeback effort.
Sophomore Treylan Matthews recorded his first double-double of the season with 14 points and 12 boards. Kirkendoll scored 13 and Harris added 13 off the bench.
The Pirates never trailed and held a slim 7-6 lead three minutes into the ballgame. But Southwestern used 16 unanswered to take control. Ryan Ogden made a jumper, Kyle Howard chipped-in a layup and Ogden hit a three. Zach Whitlock made a layup to push the lead to double-digits, while Ben Stiver dialed it up from long range. A layup by Ogden and a Stiver jumper built the deficit to 23-6 with 13:49 until the intermission.
Ogden led a quintet of Pirates in double figures with 21 points and 12 boards. Stiver added 19 on 4-for-8 shooting from three, and Luke Hicks came off the bench with 13 points.
Centenary returns to action Saturday, January 27, at Texas Lutheran. Tip is scheduled for 6 p.m.
