Box Score OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Stevenson men's basketball could not climb back from a 23 point second-half deficit, falling 95-87 to Eastern on Saturday inside Owings Mills Gymnasium.
Despite working the game back to single digits by extending the contest at the line, Stevenson (6-4, 1-3 MAC Commonwealth) could not close the gap. Eastern (8-2, 3-0 MAC Commonwealth) secure its seventh-straight win with the impressive triumph.
Khalil Richard dropped in 14 points for the Mustangs, with Cameron Smith and Jalen Jacox adding 12 each. Jalin Jordan and KJ Holton also registered double figures with 10 points apiece.
Meanwhile, Eastern went 28-37 at the foul line and received a game-high 18 points from Jairus Carroll. William Blet posted a double-double behind 12 points and 10 boards for the Eagles.
- Things were tightly contested at the start with Eastern leading 7-6 before Holton moved the Mustangs in front with a pair of free throws. The Eagles went back ahead quickly with a pair of buckets in short order, including one off a steal and score.
- Richard worked inside off the right block, finishing through contact as the Mustangs trailed 15-10, before the Mustangs took a timeout down 17-10. The Mustangs worked into the bonus at 12:13 as Richard canned both ends of a one-and-one opportunity. Davon Jones settled and splashed home a trey from the left wing as Stevenson trailed by just three at 20-17.
- Eastern eventually expanded its first-half lead to 24-17 before Ronald Ayers drained a long two as part of a mini run for the Mustangs, trailing 24-21 at the 8:46 mark. Stevenson leveled the score at 26 with consecutive baskets from Jacox, one a three from the left corner and another a pull-up jumper.
- Bo Wesley followed up with a stickback bucket for a 28-26, but the Eagles answered almost immediately with a triple to seize back control at 29-28.
- Eastern continued to use its transition game, building a 47-38 halftime lead as they did not trail the remainder of the stanza.
- Ayers converted all three times at the foul line, bringing Stevenson to within six at 46-41. On the ensuing trip up the floor, Sam Gallardo made a basket through contact, while the Eagles snarred three offensive rebounds on the missed foul shot. Gallardo eventually finished what he started, sinking a jumper from the left elbow and forcing a full Stevenson timeout at 51-41.
- Off a missed triple, the Eagles raced up the floor for a fastbreak bucket and the foul, pushing their lead to 53-41. Richard carved inside for a much-needed basket, but again the Eagles had a response on the offensive end.
- Jacox stopped the Eastern surge with a bucket underneath before Nate Arrington laid in a slick bounce pass from Cameron Sapienza. Almost immediately, the Eagles converted from deep before scoring another transition layup, ballooning the lead to 64-49.
- Blet gained inside positioning, finishing the shot in the paint as the Eagles began to pull away just over midway through the half at 67-49. Wesley swirled home an elbow jumper, slicing the deficit to 20 at 71-51.
- Jalin Jordan converted an open trey and Jacox stole a pass in the backcourt and scored uncontested as Stevenson trailed 77-59. Holton scored as part of a quick 7-2 spurt for Stevenson, prompting an Eastern timeout.
- Jordan swiped a pass and spotted up for a straightaway three with the Mustangs pushing forward with just about five minutes left, down 80-64. Smith finished through contact, sinking the and-one foul shot before Eastern answered on the other end. Smith scored inside as Stevenson trimmed its deficit to 84-71 with 3:15 remaining.
- While Stevenson continued to try and mount momentum, the Eagles maintained their double-digit margin, adding to it at the foul line. The Mustangs worked its deficit back to single digits with about two minutes remaining, later trimming it to seven at 90-83 following a pair of foul shots for Smith.
- The pace slowed considerably with both squads spending plenty of time at the foul line with Stevenson down, 95-85. Time slowly ran out as the Eagles secured the 95-87 triumph.
- Carroll and Richard posted a game-high 12 points each in the opening half.
- Eastern shot a torrid 56.4% from the floor on the afternoon, racking up 18 fastbreak points.
- Holton handed out five assists for the Mustangs, who handed out just 13 helpers on 30 made shots.
- The Eagles held a 48-40 edge in the paint and outrebounded the Mustangs by a 40-30 margin.
- Jacox was an efficient 5-of-8 from the floor, burying a pair of three-point baskets. Carroll went 7-of-11 from the field for the Eagles.
- Stevenson: The Mustangs take on Augsburg and Rhodes on consecutive days as part of the Daytona Beach Shootout, beginning December 19.
- Eastern: The Eagles visit Lancaster Bible on Saturday, December 18 at 2:00 p.m.
