Posted: Feb 13, 2025
Alice Lloyd Eagles blister nets in second-half, defeat West Virginia Tech University, 91-73
Alice Lloyd (KY)
(18-6, 9-4)
91
WVU Tech (WV)
(15-9, 6-7)
73
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Alice Lloyd (KY) (18-6, 9-4) | 37 | 54 | 91 |
|
WVU Tech (WV) (15-9, 6-7) | 35 | 38 | 73 |
Beckley, WV: The Alice Lloyd College Eagles traveled to the Mountaineer state on February 13th to battle a solid West Virginia Tech Golden Bears squad in a critical River States Conference matchup. The Eagles led the bulk of the evenly-played first half before unleashing a blistering second-half blitz to win going away, 91-73. The contest was played at the Beckley-Raleigh County Convention Center.
In the opening half, the Kentucky kids struck first behind the scoring of senior duo Jared Strickland and Ben Soumahoro. However, Tech answered and eventually gained their first lead at 13-12 with 13:38 showing on the clock.
Later, as the scoreboard went below the ten-minute mark and trailing by one (20-19), Kentucky guards Stickland and forward Soumahoro would combine to pump in 11 points, fueling a big 13-2 run. Suddenly, at 6:00, ALC led 32-22.
However, from that point, the visitors went cold as WV Tech promptly rolled out an 11-0 burst of their own with four players scoring. A driving layup from guard Darrin Martin gave the Golden Bears a 33-32 advantage at 2:09. ALC sophomore forward Jackson Tackett and Tech's Adam Seems would then trade buckets (35-34) before Eagle junior guard Koji Anderson swished a huge bomb with under a minute remaining to send the Pippa Passes posse into intermission clinging to a 37-35 cushion.
In the second half, the Bluegrass boys came out determined to execute at a higher rate and quickly turned the tide. In the first 5:30, four different players would score, as Anderson's trifecta at 14:38 would push the Caney Creek lead back to double-digits, 50-40. Then came the back-breaker. In a span of just 1:44, Anderson, Strickland, and sophomore guards Landon Napier and Desmier Hatchett would all deliver in a brisk 11-2 run. Suddenly, at 11:54, the Alice Lloyd lead was nineteen, 61-42.
Tech is a formidable club, and they refused to roll over. They would stay tough and get within eleven (77-66) with 5:26 remaining on the scoreboard. Happily for the ALC fans in attendance, senior guard Jacob Curry would swish a dagger from 25 feet and right the ship. This ignited a rapid 10-0 burst, and just like that, the Bluegrass lead had reached its zenith (87-66), slamming the door shut on the huge, 19-point victory.
For ALC (18-6; 9-4 RSC), four players reached double figures. Strickland led the way with 20 points on 8-12 accuracy. He also nabbed 7 rebounds. His buddy Soumahoro was right behind, as his 7-14 shooting produced 19 points. He also completed a double-double by grabbing 11 rebounds.
Curry bagged 5-8 bombs to finish with 15 points, while Anderson hit 5-6 field goals and both bombs he took to provide 14 points. He also led the crew with 4 assists. In addition, sophomore forward Jackson Tackett came through with 5 points, a game-high 13 boards, and 3 steals.
The Eagles finished shooting 54.2% from the field (including an impressive 63.6% in the second half), 47.6% (10-21) from beyond the arc, and 89.5% (17-19) from the foul line. They also yanked down 44 rebounds and added 17 assists, 6 steals, and 3 blocks.
WV Tech (15-9; 6-7 RSC) was led on the day by Seems with 17 points. His club shot 38.5% (25-65) from the field, 31.3% (10-32) from long distance, and 81.3% (13-16 from the foul line. They added 25 rebounds, 21 assists, 5 blocks, and 6 steals
The Eagles return to action on Saturday, January 13th, when they travel to central Kentucky to face the Midway University Eagles in an important RSC matchup.Tipoff is set for 1:00 p.m.