Second Half's Slow Start Dooms Men's Basketball

(Grand Rapids, MI)-- The Cleary Cougar men's basketball team trailed by five at the break, but took too long to get the offensive juice flowing in the second half, as they fell on the road 80-68 to the Aquinas College Saints.

Nick Ellis would start the game with a made jumper to give the Cougars their first and only lead of the ballgame.  Aquinas would score the next seven points to take the lead, and the two teams would trade baskets for the next nine minutes of game play.  Cleary would cut the Saints' lead to one point multiple times, but were held from taking the lead or tying the game during that stretch.  After Derrick Miller made a jumper to make it a 23-20 game, Aquinas would score the next seven points to take a 30-20 lead with 5:00 to play in the half.  The Cougars would chip away, and when Zane Kemp made a jumper with under one minute to play, the score would favor Aquinas 36-31 heading into the break.

Nick Ellis started the second half with a made dunk to cut the deficit to three points on Cleary's first possession.  Unfortunately for Cleary, Aquinas would then go on 25-6 run over the next ten minutes of action, building a 61-39 lead over the Cougars in the process.  The Cougars would chip away, and were able to get the deficit back within ten points when Jacob Mueller converted an and-one free throw to make the score 76-67, but with 1:31 to play in the game, Cleary would run out of time to make their run, and the game would end with the 80-68 score.

Jacob Mueller would lead the Cougars with 13 points and 4 rebounds.  Derrick Miller added 11 points and 5 rebounds, while Zane Kemp also had 11 points and 6 rebounds.  Tim Kewley added 8 points, 6 rebounds, and had 2 more blocks to his WHAC lead.

The loss drops Cleary's record to 6-12 overall, 5-8 in the WHAC.  The Cougars will next be in action on Saturday, January 24, when they return to Grand Rapids to take on the Cornerstone Golden Eagles.  The game is scheduled to begin at 7:00 PM.