ROLLA, Mo. – Behind a season-high scoring night from
Julien Smith (Fort Worth, TX/Northwest) and the first double-double of the season by
Ikenna Okeke (Bolingbrook, IL/Romeoville), Missouri S&T was able to hold off Principia Tuesday night as it recorded an 81-68 victory over the Panthers at Gibson Arena.
Smith connected on six of his 11 three-point attempts and ended the night with a game-high 26 points, while Okeke scored from all over the floor as he finished with 22 and added a season-best 11 rebounds to record the Miners' third double-double of the season.
The duo provided a large percentage of the offensive punch for the Miners (6-2) in the first half as they combined for 27 of S&T's 39 points over the first 20 minutes. Okeke did much of his damage early as he scored 11 of the Miners' first 16 points, reaching double figures on a put-back to complete a 10-0 run that put S&T up 16-5 nearly eight minutes into the contest.
Okeke would finish the first half with 13 points and Smith would wind up with 14 as he warmed up over the final eight minutes of the period. Smith scored 11 of S&T's final 15 points of the first half, including three three-point baskets, to allow the Miners to go to the locker room with a 39-30 lead.
Smith and Okeke got the Miners going to start the second half, as they combined on three more three-point baskets as part of a 11-4 opening to the half that gave the Miners a 50-34 lead just over three minutes into the second half. The Panthers, however, played on relatively even terms with S&T for the rest of the night as the Miners' largest lead with 19 late in the game and Principia cut the lead down to 10 at one juncture.
The Miners shot 43.5 percent for the game, but made just seven-of-27 from three-point range. S&T had a season-low five turnovers in the game and did force the Panthers (6-1 and playing Tuesday's game as an exhibition contest) into 14 miscues and held them to a 41.3 percent mark from the floor.
Jaquan Adams had 22 points to lead Principia in scoring.
The Miners return to Great Lakes Valley Conference action Saturday when they host Illinois Springfield at 3 p.m. at Gibson Arena.
