Box Score CLEVELAND, Miss.—The Christian Brothers University Buccaneers out-scored host Delta State 13-4 over the final 6:31, but their rally ended a point short as they dropped a 56-55 heartbreaker Saturday night in Gulf South Conference West Division play.
The Statesmen (12-3, 3-0 GSC West) used an 11-2 run midway through the second half to open a 10-point lead at 52-42 on a Joe McCray three-pointer with 7:40 remaining.
The Bucs (11-5, 1-2) started their game-ending run on a
Scott Dennis (Cincinnati, Ohio/Sycamore HS) layup. A possession later, Dennis stole an Eric Spencer pass and threw down a fast-break dunk to cut the lead to 52-46. Two free throws pulled the Bucs within four, but back-to-back DSU dunks from Marqueys Brown and Roderick Ollie gave DSU a 56-48 lead with 3:15 remaining.
But the Bucs answered, first with two
Zack Warner (St. Louis, Mo./Clayton HS) free throws.
Kevin Doran (Memphis, Tenn./St. Benedict HS) knocked down a three-pointer on the Bucs' third shot of the possession with 1:35 remaining to cut the margin to 56-53, and Dennis drove for a reverse layup with 43 seconds remaining to set the final score. Doran grabbed a rebound off a Chad Akins missed three with five seconds left, but Scott Dennis' buzzer-beater missed as time expired.
Warner scored a game-high 19 to lead the Bucs, while Doran scored 11 points. Dennis had 10 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, and three blocks as he posted his sixth double-double of the season.
Eric Spencer scored 12 to lead DSU, while Ollie and Joe McCray added nine each.
The Bucs shot 38 percent (19-of-50) for the game, including just 22.2 percent (6-of-27), their second-lowest mark of the season, from three-point range. The Statesmen shot 50 percent (22-of-44) from the floor and 33.3 percent (6-of-18) from three-point range.
DSU out-rebounded the Bucs 30-26, but CBU had a 10-7 edge in offensive rebounds and an 18-11 edge in turnovers.
The Bucs will try to even their GSC West record Thursday night at 7:30 p.m. as they visit Harding. The Bucs' next home game is Saturday at 4 p.m. against Henderson State.
