Alabama-Huntsville Downs Eagles In Back-and-forth Contest
Nov. 22, 2008
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. - The University of Alabama-Huntsville had three players score in double figures, and the Chargers took advantage of 28 Carson-Newman turnovers to down the Eagles 98-94 in an back-and-forth contest at Holt Field house Saturday night.
Casey Stafford and Kael Coleman fired in 22 and 20 points, respectively, for Alabama-Huntsville (1-1), while Tyler Hanback contributed 17.
Carson-Newman (1-2) was led by the 24 point, 11 rebound effort of junior Joey Cameron (Tuskegee, Ala.). Guards Jared Stephens (Oak Ridge, Tenn.) and Jesse McMurray (Weber City, Va.) scored 13 and 11 points, respectively. Tray Okoth (Richmond, Va.) came off the bench to add 10.
The Eagles shot 56 percent from the field for the game, including a red-hot 64-percent effort in the first half. Carson-Newman was 7-of-11 from behind the arc in the opening 20 minutes.
There were nine ties and seven lead changes in the first half as Carson-Newman held a slim 50-47 advantage at intermission.
The game was tied at 38-38 with 4:10 left in the half, when three-pointers by McMurray and Adam Plavich (Dalton, Ga.) keyed a 10-0 run for the Eagles. The Chargers answered by out-scoring Carson-Newman 9-2 in the final two-plus minutes of the period.
A pair of three-pointers by Stephens kept the Eagles out in front early in the second half, but a trey by Hanback and a coast-to-coast lay-up by Coleman gave Alabama-Huntsville a 58-56 lead and the Chargers would never trail the rest of the way.
Alabama-Huntsville increased its cushion to as many as 10 points with 3:37 left in the game, but Carson-Newman cut it to three on a couple of occasions down the stretch. A pair of Jordan Dixon (Clinton, Tenn.) free-throws made it 96-94 with four seconds remaining, but Luc Graves went to the other end and sank both of his free-throws to ice the game.
Carson-Newman will be back at home Tuesday to host Milligan College at 7 p.m. Alabama-Huntsville will host its 2008-09 home opener against Hardin on Monday.
