GEORGETOWN, Texas — Southwestern men's basketball returned to the court looking every bit the team that hadn't played a game in a month due to the winter storm and an unfortunately timed bye week.
Unfortunately, the Pirates' first game back was the first round of the SCAC Championship Tournament, losing 84-72 to the Austin College Kangaroos.
Southwestern struggled to take care of the ball, committing 21 turnovers to Austin College's 11. The Pirates' problem wasn't just the sheer number of turnovers; it was the type. The Kangaroos pounced on 15 steals, leading to a 19-11 advantage in fastbreak points and a 24-3 advantage in points off turnovers.
The Pirates compounded their problems with a shaky performance from the free-throw line, shooting a season-worst 48.3 percent (14-for-29) while Austin College hit 23-for-31.
Despite their struggles, the Pirates remained competitive through most of the game. Southwestern leading scorer Kyle Poerschke was limited to just three minutes in the first half due to foul trouble, but Trenton Garrett stepped up with seven points on 2-for-3 shooting and five rebounds to help the Pirates stay within striking range at 36-32 at the half.
Southwestern utilized a balanced scoring attack in the second half with four players scoring at least five points, taking a three-point lead at 56-53 on a Preston Hannah layup off a feed from Poerschke with 8:48 remaining.
Austin College responded with a 13-2 run as Southwestern unraveled down the stretch, falling behind by double digits.
Preston Hannah led three Pirates in double figures with 15 points on 5-for-9 shooting and three assists. Garrett finished with 12 points and seven rebounds, and Calvin Williams had 10 points on four shots with four rebounds.
Austin College's Michael Holand led all scorers with 20 points on 8-for-18 shooting, grabbing six rebounds and handing out three crucial assists. Despite playing most of the game in foul trouble, point guard Joshua Joe had 16 points, five assists, and four steals. Jonathan Lawrence led all scorers off the bench with 15, hitting 3-for-5 from deep.
Southwestern falls to 4-3 on the season and exits the SCAC Tournament with the loss. The Pirates will return to action for a special senior day game to be scheduled later.
