Beaver Tops UC Clermont in Tough Battle
Monaca, PA -- Beaver Tops UC Clermont in Tough Battle
By: Chris Rotondo
In the final game of the Beaver Holiday Tournament, the Beaver men faced off against a tough conference opponent in UC Clermont on Saturday. After a hard fought battle, Beaver was able to play one of their best games of the season as they held on to win by a final score of 71-59.
The game instantly started in Beaver's favor as junior Will Pierce made a jump shot in the first minute. The team gained an early 8 point lead before UC Clermont made their way onto the scoreboard. Beaver dominated control of the ball, as they carried their lead throughout. Freshman Andrew Brady and sophomore Dominique Stevenson were just some of the key players in the first half, as the entire team stormed their way past their opponent. A 3-pointer from senior DJ Austin gave the team a 14 point lead halfway through the half. UC Clermont started to slowly climb their way up the board as the half approached, but Beaver stayed a few steps ahead.
As the second half began, Beaver was ahead 40-29. UC Clermont gained a couple of extra points shortly after, and after a foul was called on sophomore Tavarski Wardlow, Beaver called a full timeout. UC Clermont started to narrow the once distant lead between the two teams, but Beaver still had enough steam left in them to stay ahead. Senior Eric Gallupe helped to keep the rest of the team ahead, as they kept their defense up. There were a few missed layups from Beaver that helped UC Clermont to narrow the lead, but Beaver still had the advantage. In the last couple of minutes, the team worked to build a larger gap on the scoreboard, with free throws and layups from Brady and Stevenson. In the final moments of the game, Gallupe made two free throws, giving Beaver a winning score of 71-59.
After this conference win, Beaver is now 3-9 in their overall season and 2-4 in the PSUAC conference. They will return to the court in the new year, as they travel to Kent State on Jan. 6.