Alice Lloyd Eagles deliver inspired defensive effort ,earn 65-62 comeback victory over Rio Grande University

Pippa Passes, KY: The Alice Lloyd College Eagles returned to the Perry Center and "Coach J" Court on February 18th to face the red-hot, division-leading, Rio Grande Red Storm in River States Conference action. The Ohio club had defeated ALC in January by the stunning score of 95-57. On this night, the Bluegrass boys, who entered the contest sitting in second place in the division, rallied in the second half behind an inspired defensive effort, to take a critical 65-62 victory.

The Eagles, who are still playing without the services of key seniors Jared Strickland and Devaunte Robinson, saw Rio come out quickly. Fueled by the play of athletic Jaelin Johnson, who would pump in 13 points in less than eight minutes, the Ohio club would race out to a 24-15 advantage with 8:47 remaining in the half. The Buckeye boys seemed on the brink of blowing the game open quickly.

However, the Caney Creek crew dug deep and answered back. Sparked by the long-distance bombing of senior guard Jacob Curry, the hosts would claw their way back. Later, when senior forward Ben Soumahoro sank a free throw at .03, the deficit was cut to just one, 31-30, heading into the dressing room for intermission. 

Entering this game, Alice Lloyd was averaging nearly 89 points per outing, while Rio was producing 81 points per game. However, this matchup had turned into a gritty defensive battle. In the second half, the Eagles continued to fight hard and hang tough. When Soumahoro bagged a 15-foot jumper with 12:58 remaining in the game, it would give his crew their first lead (43-42) since the 11:06 mark of the first half. Unfortunately, it would not last long.

Over the next four minutes, Rio's top two scorers, Trey Robinson and Eric Butler, combined for 9 points to jumpstart a powerful 11-2 blitz. After the smoke cleared, with 8:44 remaining in the contest, RGU led 53-45. Happily, to the delight of the hometown fans, ALC responded once again.

Like a heavyweight fighter, the Eagles punched back. Over the next five minutes, ALC would clamp down on defense, limiting the Red Storm to just 2 points. On offense, a pair of huge perimeter jumpers from sophomore guard Desmier Hatchett, combined with a pair of beautiful post moves from sophomore forward Jackson Tackett, led the rally. Finally, a charity toss by Curry at the 3:36 mark would knot the contest once more at 55-55. The fans were definitely getting their money's worth and were getting ready to receive a bonus.

On the next Pippa Passes possession, Soumahoro made a beautiful drive to give his squad a lead of 57-55. Then, after a pair of Rio free throws tied it once more, bluegrass bomber Koji Anderson made an acrobatic step-back jumper over tough RG defense to give his charges a 59-57 lead at 2:24.

After the Red Storm's Robinson sank two foul shots to tie things yet again at 59-59, the Kentucky boys delivered the knockout blow. First, Soumahoro would drive, draw the double-team and make a beautiful pass to Tackett, who swished a pressurized mid-range jumper at 1:17 to place the hosts ahead, 59-57. Then on the next play, Soumahoro stole a pass, drew a foul, and sank 1-2 foul shots to put the Eagles up 60-57 with just .30 ticks left.

Down by three, Rio would gain possession of the ball, bringing the crowd to its feet in anticipation. At this most important juncture, Alice Lloyd delivered on defense once more as the Kentucky crew would apply incredible pressure and force a turnover from the Buckeye club. Now forced to foul, the Red Storm put Curry on the line, where he would cooly swish both ends of the bonus to make the advantage five, 62-57. 

Rio's Butler sank a deep bomb to add a little drama (62-60), but RG was forced to foul once again. Curry then sank 1-2 charity tries to hand the hosts the gutsy, hard-fought victory.

For Alice Lloyd (19-7; 10-5 RSC), three players reached double figures. They were led on the night by Curry, who drilled 5-11 field goals (4-10 3FG) and 5-7 free throws to account for a game-high 19 points. He added 4 rebounds. Tackett hit 6-13 shots to finish with 12 points. He also led the club with 8 rebounds. Soumahoro marked the stat sheet by contributing 11 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals. In addition, Hatchett delivered 8 important points while nabbing 5 rebounds, and Anderson chipped in with 7 points and 3 steals.

On the day, the Caney Creek crew finished at 44.6% (25-56) from the field, 35% (7-20) from beyond the arc, but just 50% (8-16) from the charity stripe. They also grabbed 34 rebounds, handed out 11 assists, and nabbed 11 steals. 

Rio (19-9; 10-5 RSC) was led by Johnson with 17 points. His squad connected on 39.3% (22-56) from the field, including 33.3% (10-30) from long range. They were also 57.1% (8-14) from the charity line. Additionally, they nabbed 39 rebounds, handed off 15 assists, and stole 4 balls. 

The Eagles conclude the regular season on Saturday, February 22nd when they return home on Senior Day to face the formidable Shawnee State Bears in a matchup that will determine the final seeding for the upcoming RSC tournament. Tipoff is set for 1:00 p.m.