Tigers Knock Off MSC Co-Leaders

The Georgetown College men's basketball team entered play on Saturday in a tie for third place in the Mid-South Conference standings, but within striking distance of another tie atop the standings. On Saturday, the Tigers had a chance to take on one of the teams tied ahead of them in the standings, and they took full advantage.

Georgetown (13-2, 6-2 MSC) out-lasted the University of Tennessee Southern Firehawks (13-5, 8-2 MSC), 79-74, to pull within a game of the Firehawks and into sole possession of third place in the MSC standings as the conference slate nears the halfway point.

UT-Southern scored first, and the Firehawks built an early 11-6 lead, but Georgetown battled back. The Tigers chipped away at the deficit and with 10:50 to play in the first half, a pair of made free throws from Tae Dozier knotted things at 19. The teams traded the lead six times in the next six minutes, but over the final 3:32 of the half, Georgetown netted nine of the last 11 points of the half to lead 35-32 at intermission.

Georgetown scored the first nine points out of the break as well, stretching its run to 18-2 and claiming a 12-point lead, 44-32. UT-Southern quickly closed the gap to 46-40, and with 11 minutes to go, the Firehawks pulled to within three at 52-49. That came in the midst of a 15-0 run for UT-Southern that gave the Firehawks the lead, 55-52. Georgetown scored the next seven points to reclaim its lead with 8:03 to play, and though the game remained close in the final moments, and the Tigers held off UT-Southern down the stretch.

Kyran Jones led the Tigers with 23 points in the game on 10-for-19 shooting, and he added 14 rebounds for his sixth of the season. Jaquay Wales and Jayrese Williams each added a dozen, and Derrin Boyd chipped in 10.

Georgetown made 29 of 71 (40.8%) shots in the game, and 3 of 25 (12%) from long distance. At the foul line, the Tigers were 18-for-25 (72%) in the contest. Georgetown dominated on the glass, pulling down 12 more boards than the Firehawks (37-25), and the Tigers also held huge scoring advantages in the paint (40-18) and on second chances (22-3).

Georgetown will make a swing into west Tennessee next weekend, making a pair of tough road trip stops. The Tigers will first battle Freed-Hardeman University (10-7, 5-5 MSC) on Thursday night at 9 p.m. Eastern, then they will finish the trip with a date with the Wildcats of Bethel University (10-8, 2-8 MSC) on Saturday at 3 p.m. Eastern.