ROLLA, Mo. – On the night before Thanksgiving, Missouri S&T's men's basketball team had an early feast at the expense of University of Health Sciences & Pharmacy at Gibson Arena, routing the Eutectics 95-41 for its fourth straight win to begin the 2022-23 campaign.
The Miners left little doubt in the outcome right from the outset, racing out to a double figure lead after just over five minutes had elapsed and leading by 20 before the contest reached the midway point of the first half as they shot 60 percent from the field over the first 20 minutes.
After the game was tied at three in the opening moments, the Miners outscored USHP (0-6) 31-3 over the next eight-plus minutes. S&T had a run of nine straight points early in that stretch and a 14-0 run to close it; it would lead 52-20 at halftime.
With the game in hand early, the Miners were able to use everyone in uniform from 11 to 18 minutes in the contest as all 14 players scored. S&T had six players reach double figures, paced by freshman
Alex Benassi (Lee's Summit, MO/Lee's Summit) with 12 points. The Miners got 11 points apiece from
Kaden Froebe (Lincoln, IL/Lincoln) and
Lovell Williams (Rogers, MN/Maple Grove), while
Ikenna Okeke (Bolingbrook, IL/Romeoville),
Julien Smith (Fort Worth, TX/Northwest) and
Andrew Ellinghouse (Dexter, MO/Dexter) all finished with 10.
The Miners finished the night by shooting 55.4 percent from the field and went 10-of-21 from three-point range, while holding the Eutectics to 25 percent shooting overall and a three-of-25 from from beyond the arc. Trae Meny was the only UHSP player to finish in double figures with 12 points.
Missouri S&T will open up its Great Lakes Valley Conference schedule with a road contest against 22
nd-ranked Southwest Baptist Saturday in Bolivar, Mo. Tip-off is scheduled for 3 p.m.
