SHERMAN, Texas — The Southwestern men's basketball team battled to the last second, which was enough time for the Schreiner Mountaineers to eke out a 51-50 victory in the first round of the SCAC Tournament.
Southwestern's Preston Hannah stole the ball from Schreiner's Kamden Ross with 1:36 remaining. Kyle Poerschke patiently weaved through the Mountaineer's transition defense for a layup, giving the Pirates a 50-49 lead with 1:30 remaining.
Hannah made another clutch defensive play on the ensuing possession, swiping the ball from Dylan Mackey. Still, the Pirates could not take advantage, missing a jumper and giving Schreiner control back with 33 seconds left.
Southwestern defended Schreiner's first look out of a timeout, forcing point guard Alex Dehoyos to take an errant 3-pointer with seven seconds on the clock. Unfortunately, the Pirates were unable to secure the rebound to end the possession, in a sign of the misfortune to come.
With Schreiner inbounding from the baseline with two seconds, Jalen Ned slipped through the defense to receive a pass under the basket, missing his first attempt but tipping in the rebound as time expired to end Southwestern's season.
Poerschke led all scorers with 18 points on 7-of-19 shooting. The Pirates' leading scorer was electric in the first half, pouring in 13 points on eight shots. Southwestern's defense locked in early, forcing 11 Schreiner first-half turnovers, including five steals, and blocking three shots to limit the Mountaineers to 37.9 percent shooting and take a 32-25 halftime lead.
In the second half, Schreiner adjusted its defense to limit Poerschke, and the Pirates went ice cold, shooting just 4-for-28 after the break. The Pirates mitigated the shooting woes some with stout defense and nine free throws. However, Dehoyos broke free for nine points on eight shots, and Ross pulled down 10 of his game-high 18 rebounds.
Both teams struggled to score over the final 10 minutes, with both teams scoring only eight points each over that time. Southwestern center Zac Black fouled out with 9:52 remaining, and Southwestern went to a primarily small lineup featuring Poerschke at center.
The Pirates were able to stifle Schreiner with swarming rotations, drawing several charges, and forcing a few turnovers from Mountaineers trying to avoid the charge. Poerschke did the rest on the interior, blocking four shots.
Southwestern surrendered nine offensive rebounds in the second half, giving the Mountaineers extra opportunities in a game decided by the slimmest of margins. Southwestern wraps up its season with a 9-17 record, including 6-10 in conference play.
