ROLLA, Mo. – A second half surge – similar to one Missouri S&T put together to win the first meeting between the teams last month – proved to be decisive as the Miners closed their pre-holiday slate Friday by winning a
107-97 decision over a hot shooting Trevecca Nazarene squad at Billy Key Court.
The Miners used a big second half to come away with a 10-point over the Trojans in Nashville, then used a 20-4 burst midway through the second half Friday to build a double figure lead in a contest that at times resembled a track meet between the teams.
Trevecca Nazarene led for a good portion of the first half, holding as much as a nine-point advantage when Jalen Palm drained a three-pointer at the 8:53 mark. The Miners answered with nine straight points to tie the game, then after the Trojans regained the lead on a trey by Jacob Williams, S&T got a pair of free throws and then a conventional three-point play from
Zach Ellis (St. Louis, Mo./Whitfield School) to take its first lead since the opening basket of the contest at 37-35.
The Miners scored the final five points of the first half to take a seven-point lead to the locker room, but the Trojans came out fast after the intermission by scoring the first 10 points to regain the lead at 60-57. Ellis hit a three-pointer to tie it, then hit another after Byron Sanford connected on a try to knot the score at 63.
TNU took the lead back on a Matt Gamberoni lay-in and his two free throws with 15:13 to play extended the lead to four.
Marcus Walden (Augusta, Ga./Academy of Richmond Co.) scored to cut the lead in half, before
Ervin Sarajlic (St. Louis, Mo./Oakville) scored on a put-back and converted a free throw to complete a three-point play to put S&T on top for good at 70-69 with 12:59 remaining.
About three minutes later, another basket by Sarajlic gave the Miners a nine-point lead, then the margin reached 12 at 85-73 on a put-back by
B.J. McLaughlin (Florissant, Mo./Hazelwood Central) at the 8:13 mark.
S&T would build the lead to as much as 15 before the Trojans made a run that got them as close as seven with under a minute to play, but Ellis made three-of-four at the line in the final 50 seconds to hold off the comeback effort.
Ellis finished the night with 26 points, hitting all four of his three-point attempts, while adding eight assists and five of S&T's 12 steals in the game. McLaughlin added 15 points and
Clement Bonardo (LaFarlede, France/Costebelle) had 14 points and three steals.
The Miners shot 56.3 percent in the second half and finished the game at 51.5 percent, marking the first time this season S&T has finished a game making at least one-half of its shots from the floor. S&T also tied its season high with 11 three-pointers and went 28-of-39 at the free throw line.
Sanford led all scorers in the game with 32 points as five Trojans scored in double figures. Williams hit six three-pointers as part of his 19-point night; the Trojans (4-6) were 11-of-19 from beyond the arc and shot 57.1 percent overall in the game.
S&T outrebounded the Trojans 36-31 behind eight rebounds from
Michael Nesbitt (Evansville, Ind./LaLumiere School).
The Miners, who improved to 6-2 with the win, will return to play on the afternoon of New Year's Eve when they host William Woods in a 3 p.m. contest.
