Posted: Feb 04, 2025
Alice Lloyd Eagles drain school-record 27 three-pointers, knock out division leading Indiana University East, 117-84
Indiana East
(14-9, 8-3)
84
Alice Lloyd (KY)
(16-6, 7-4)
117
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Indiana East (14-9, 8-3) | 40 | 44 | 84 |
|
Alice Lloyd (KY) (16-6, 7-4) | 48 | 69 | 117 |
Pippa Passes, KY: The Alice Lloyd College Eagles returned to the Perry Center and "Coach J" Court on February 4th to face the red-hot, division-leading, Indiana University-East Red Wolves in River States Conference action. The hosts put on a stunning display of long-range marksmanship and took down the Hoosier squad, 117-84.
In the first half, the evenly matched squads traded hoops for the first five minutes until IU East scored on a fast break layin at 15:09 to pull ahead,13-9. In need of a spark, ALC turned to their bench, and they were ready to answer the call.
Sophomore guard Desmier Hatchett came in and provided a huge lift, scoring 7 points to fuel a nice run. Later, after junior guard Koji Anderson picked the pocket of an East guard and fed Landon Napier streaking in for the layup, the Eagles led 20-13 with 12:30 showing on the scoreboard.
Alice Lloyd would hold on to their lead, but Red Wolf leading scorer Jake Johnson kept his club within striking distance. When he sank a long bomb at 1:30, the deficit was down to just three, 43-40.
Happily for the home fans, Anderson would sink a mid-range jumper to put his squad ahead 45-40. Then after ALC delivered a stop on the defensive end and gained the ball back for the final shot, Anderson made a nifty pass to Hatchett who drained a long triple just before the buzzer. This would send the Eagles into the locker room for intermission leading 48-40 as Hatchett had provided 17 points.
The hosts had shot a steady 56.3 % the first half, including 61.5% from beyond the arc. Little did anyone in attendence realize the Caney Creek crew was just warming up.
In the second half, the Eagle starters came out determined to match the fine play of their teammates, and they exploded out of the dressing room with an incredible blitz. Alice Lloyd would swish 5-consecutive long bombs, as senior guard Jacob Curry's triple capped off a 20-5 run in just 4:38.
From there, despite defense that did their best to deny him the ball, Curry absolutely caught fire. In the next five minute spurt, he and Napier would combine to drill 5-consecutive long bombs once again, and at 11:40, the score stood 83-55. The crowd roared with approval.
Later, with 6:37 showing on the scoreboard, Curry swished his 10th three-pointer of the contest. He would exit the game shortly after to arrousing applause. The only question remaining was could the Eagles tie the school record for made threes.
Even with Curry on the bench, the Pippa Passes posse would not be denied. Hatchett and senior guard Brady Nelson would later add bombs. Then with 1:59 left, freshman guard Kaleb Walker drilled the record-tying 27th trifecta of the night. When the final horn sounded ending the contest, the appreciative fans awarded their boys with a standing ovation, knowing they had witnessed an incredible display of shooting.
For the victorious Eagles (16-6; 7-4 RSC), four players reached double figures. They were led by Curry, who was lights-out as he poured in a career-high 33 points in just 22 minutes of play. He swished an amazing 10-14 shots, all from behind the arc. He also was 3-3 from the foul line, as he was fouled on one bomb. He just missed tying the individual record for threes in a game, as All-American guard Russell Clark twice sank 11 in 1993-94. He also added 5 assists.
He was followed by Hatchett, who finished with a career-high of his own He produced 20 points while hitting a perfect 7-7 from the field, including 4-4 from deep. He chipped in with 4 assists and 3 steals. Senior guard Jared Stickland delivered 17 points on 6-7 accuracy, with a perfect 5-5 trifectas. Anderson also chipped in with 13 points on 5-9 shooting, plus 2-3 from deep, and led the way with 6 assists.
In addition, sophomore forward Jackson Tackett and Napier both added a pair of bombs to the cause to finish with 8 points apiece, while Tackett and senior forward Ben Soumahoro both dished out 5 assists. Soumahoro and Strickland led the club with 5 rebounds each.
The offensive stats show just out-of-this world the Caney boys played. The hosts shot an eye-popping 64.1% (41-64) from the floor, including an unbelievable 69.2% from long range as they made 27-39 from deep. This includeds 19-26 long-range accuracy in the second half. They also made 88.9% (8-9) of their free throws, added 29 rebounds, 31 assists, 2 blocks, and 10 steals.
IU East(14-9; 8-3 RSC), was led on the day by Johnson with 17 points. His club shot 47.5% (32-70) from the field, 31% (13-42) from deep, and 50% (7-14) from the foul line. They added 36 rebounds, 25 assists, 2 blocks, and 2 steals.
The Eagles return to the hardwood on Saturday, February 8th when they return home to face the Indiana University-Southeast Grenadiers in a important RSC matchup.Tipoff is set for 1:00 p.m