Alice Lloyd Eagles continue impressive play, take down Brescia University, 87-75

Owensboro, KY: The Alice Lloyd Eagles concluded their road trip by taking on the homestanding Brescia Bearcats in River States Conference play. Once again, the Eagles unleashed their impressive balance as they placed four men in double figures to earn the solid  87-75 victory. The matchup took place on February 1st.

In the opening stanza, the two squads played evenly as they were sizing each other up. Later, sparked by the inside play of senior forward Ben Soumahoro plus the long-range marksmanship of senior guard Jared Strickland and junior guard Jacob Curry, ALC ran out to a 37-28 advantage with 5:44 remaining.

However, Bearcat John Saenz heated up to fuel a 10-0 burst in a three-minute span to help the big-city club take the lead, 38-37. Fortunately for the blue and white faithful, Curry and sophomore forward Jackson Tackett swished consecutive trifectas to steady the ship, and the Eagles would fight their way to a 45-42 lead at intermission.

In the second half, the hosts would get within a single point (50-49) with 16:33 on the scoreboard. From there, the momentum quickly changed. The Caney Creek crew saw junior guard Koji Anderson and Soumahoro combine for 9 points in a 13-2 blitz. Anderson's nifty driving layup made the score 63-51 with 12:08 remaining.

From that point, ALC controlled the contest, never allowing Brescia to get within striking distance. The lead fluctuated between 16 and 12 points the remainder of the game, as the Eagles earned the impressive road victory.

Alice Lloyd (15-6; 6-4 RSC) was led on the night by Soumahoro. He sank 7-12 field goals and 10-12 free throws to finish with a solid double-double of 24 points and 10 rebounds. He was followed by Strickland, who swished 6-10 attempts, including 5-7 bombs, for 19 points. He added 7 rebounds and 4 blocks to his tally.

 Anderson stuck 6-7 shots to add 13 points to the team total, while Curry connected on 4-6 trifectas for 12 points.

In addition, junior guard Wilgus Tolson led the crew with 5 assists, while Curry and Tackett both nabbed 2 steals.

On the day, the victorious Caney Creek crew finished at 49.2% (29-59) from the field, including 50% (11-22) from beyond the arc. They also hit 72% (18-25) from the charity stripe, grabbed 42 rebounds, handed out 17 assists, blocked 5 shots, and swiped 6 steals. 

The Bearcats (5-13; 3-7 RSC) was led by Saenz with 18 points. His squad shot 38.4% (28-73) from the field, 26.9% (7-26) from beyond the arc and 75% (12-16) from the foul line. Additionally, they registered 38 rebounds, handed off 12 assists, and stole 5 balls.

The Eagles return to the hardwood in a critical RSC showdown on Tuesday, February 4th, when they host the division-leading Indiana University East Red Wolves. East won a 103-96 shootout in the club's previous meeting on December 7th, so this should be a barn-burner. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.