SHERMAN, Texas — A frigid shooting performance doomed the Southwestern Pirates men's basketball team in a 77-65 loss to Austin College, splitting the two-game weekend series.
Kyle Poerschke led four Pirates in double figures with 15 points on 7-for-16 shooting, including a monster first-half dunk in transition. He shot just 0-for-6 from 3-point range, though, as the Pirates struggled to find its range all afternoon.
Southwestern shot just 6-for-27 (22.2 percent) from behind the 3-point line, finishing 19-for-55 (34.5 percent) overall.
Poerschke did most of his damage in the first half, scoring 11 points and grabbing four rebounds with three steals. Preston Hannah supplemented his scoring with seven points on five shots with two steals. The rest of the team shot just 3-for-12, bringing the Southwestern shooting percentage down to 33.3 percent before the break.
Austin College capitalized with a strong first half from reserve Joshua Joe, who had 11 points on six shots with three steals. Michael Holland contributed eight of his team-high 16 points to give the Kangaroos a 38-29 lead at the half.
Southwestern shot a little better in the second half, hitting five of its six made 3-pointers, but still shot just 35.7 percent overall after the break.
On the other end, the Pirates struggled to overcome the loss of two rotation players from the previous game. Starting wing Chris Smith, Jr. and backup center Zac Black were out with injuries sustained Friday, leaving the Pirates' frontcourt depth thin. Austin College found its way to the paint repeatedly, where it outscored Southwestern 46-20.
The Pirate defense surrendered 57.7 percent shooting in the second half, with the Kangaroos scoring all but one of their baskets from inside the 3-point line.
Poerschke finished 7-for-16 from the field, grabbing six rebounds with three steals and two assists. Hannah added 12 points on 11 shots with two steals and two assists. Josh Jones and Calvin Williams added 10 points each, combining to shot 17-for-22 from the free-throw line. Jacob Hester led the second unit with eight points on 3-for-7 shooting.
Holland had 10 rebounds to go with his 16 points on 10 shots for the double-double. He also had five steals and three assists. Jaylyn Cleamons added 14 points on eight shots, seven rebounds, and two assists. Joe finished with 13 points, leading a reserve unit that outscored its Southwestern counterpart 30-11.
Austin College improves to 3-1, dropping Southwestern to 1-1. The Pirates will hit the road next weekend for a two-game series against Colorado College (0-2).
