Harrodsburg, KY: The Alice Lloyd Eagles rang in the new year in winning fashion on the hardwood as they roared back from a double-digit first-half deficit to defeat an athletic Campbellsville University-Harrodsburg Pioneers squad, 82-74.
In the first half, the hosts raced out to a 12-3 advantage five minutes in. Their lead reached its zenith (20-10) on a bucket at the 10:19 mark.
Despite the ice-cold shooting, the Eagles managed to trim the deficit to just three (33-30) with 1:08 showing. Unfortunately, the Pioneers closed the stanza on a 6-0 run and would take a 39-30 cushion at intermission.
It was no mystery as to why CUH led, as they dominated the first half field goal shooting battle, 54% to 24%.
In the second half, ALC junior center Colyn Sturgill would score six quick points to lead a resurgence, but he would have to take a seat on the bench in foul trouble barely three minutes in.
Fortunately for the visitors, junior guard Chandler Stewart, sophomore forward Damon Tobler, and senior guard Noah Young ignited a 13-6 burst that lifted the Eagles to their first lead of the night (53-52) with 13:20 remaining.
The game would remain nip-and-tuck and the Pioneers would still hold a 66-65 advantage on two free throws with 6:56 left to play. Little did they know that it was to be their last lead of the night.
Both clubs battled, but the difference would prove to be a huge infusion of energy from forward Noah Caudill, who replace Sturgill following his fifth foul.
In the clutch minutes, the sophomore would grab an offensive rebound and produce a three-point play, followed by another offensive rebound bucket on the next possession to give the Caney Creek squad some breathing room. He would add a couple of more key rebounds for good measure.
Then, the game would be placed on ice. First, Stewart would come up with a huge steal and layup. Next Caudill and Young would each drain two free throws to keep the hosts at bay. At last, Eagle coach Scott Cornett was able to breathe a sigh of relief as his club earned the nice road win.
For ALC (7-1), they produced their typical multi-headed attack. They were led on the night by Stewart, who finished with a game-high 23 points (8-14 FG: 4-4 FT); the guard also had 2 steals. He was followed by Tobler who produced 13 points and grabbed 7 rebounds.
Young played solid ball as he chipped in with 12 points and 3 assists. Also contributing big was Caudill with a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds.
In addition, junior forward Will Philpot owned the boards as he ripped down 16 rebounds; he also had 2 blocks. Sturgill added 8 points and 4 rebounds before fouling out in just thirteen minutes.
Alice Lloyd reversed their fortunes by shooting a solid 57.6 % from the field in the second half to finish at 40% (28-70) for the night, and 33.3% (8-24) from long range. From the charity line, they sank an impressive 81.8% (18-22). Additionally, they registered 49 rebounds, 3 steals, and 10 assists.
Campbellsville-Harrodsburg (3-3) was led by Tyron Duncan with 15 points. His club would finish at 45.5% (25-55) for the night, and 27.3% (6-22) from long range. From the charity line, they sank 66.7% (18-27). Additionally, they registered 37 rebounds, 3 steals, and 13 assists.
The Eagles return back to action on Wednesday, January 13th when they host conference foe Rio Grande University. They follow that up on Saturday, January 16th with a home conference contest against Oakland City, Indiana. Although both games are conference tilts, the league will not be playing a seeded tournament this year. Due to an uneven amount of league games, there will be a blind draw at the end of the season to determine the tournament pairings.