CLINTON, Miss.-The Christian Brothers University Bucs scored the game's first seven points and never trailed as they rolled to a 64-53 win at Mississippi College Saturday night.
HOW IT HAPPENED:• Three different Bucs (4-5, 3-1 GSC) combined for the 7-0 game-opening run.
Tyler Estep (Cincinnati, Ohio/Reading HS) opened the scoring with a layup, and
Jeff Larkin (Cincinnati, Ohio/La Salle HS) followed with a layup of his own.
Drew Hildreth (Memphis, Tenn./Bolton HS) capped the burst with a triple.
• CBU used a 12-1 run sandwiching the intermission to pull away to a 34-19 lead on a Larkin steal and fastbreak layup with 17:35 remaining.
• The Choctaws (2-4, 1-3) answered with a 9-0 run capped by a Deondre Haynes dunk that brought them within 40-36 with 12:48 to play.
• After the Bucs rebuilt the lead to 10 at 49-39 on another Hildreth trey, MC whittled the lead to 53-51 when Tory Rice capped a 12-4 run with a layup with 4:03 remaining.
• Larkin answered with a three to put the Bucs back ahead by five as CBU out-scored the Choctaws 11-2 over the final three minutes.
KEY STATS:• Hildreth scored 20 points with 12 rebounds, three blocks and three steals. He was 8-of-14 from the floor, including 4-of-6 from beyond the arc.
• Larkin also scored 20 points and set a career-high with five steals.
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Jordan Miller (Fulton, Ky./Fulton City HS) scored 11 points.
• The Bucs shot 42.9 percent (24-of-56) overall, including 30.4 percent (7-of-23) from three-point range.
• MC was 32.8 percent (19-of-58) for the game, including 18.8 percent (3-of-16) from beyond the arc.
• The Choctaws out-rebounded CBU 46-30, including an 18-5 advantage in offensive boards, but the Choctaws committed 15 turnovers to the Bucs' seven.
WHAT'S NEXT:The Bucs visit West Georgia Thursday night at 6:30 p.m. and West Alabama Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. Their next home game is set for Thursday, Dec. 31, as they host Trevecca Nazarene at 4 p.m.
