Golden Bears Drop SIAC Home Opener to Panthers
Box Score When your team has lost eight straight games and an opportunity for a big win presents itself, you take it and hope for the best.
Miles was in just that position Thursday night against Clark Atlanta and
Kendarius Cunningham had a good look at the top of the 3-point arc. But his jumper did not fall and despite erasing a double-digit deficit and holding a lead late, the Golden Bears we unable to get their first Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference win, dropping a 98-96 decision at Knox-Windham Gymnasium.
Maiscei Grier scored 28 points and
Patrick Jackson added 24 points and seven rebounds for the Golden Bears (1-9, 0-3 SIAC). Clark Atlanta (3-7, 2-1) had six players score in double figures, led by Najee Whitehead's 28.
The Golden Bears trailed 56-46 at halftime but wated little time in erasing the deficit. A 3-pointer by Grier gave Miles a 63-61 lead less than four minutes into the half. That began a back-and-forth struggle between the two teams that saw the score tied on nine different occassions. Miles never led by more than four points, the last time at 85-81 on a Jackson layup with less than six minutes remaining.
With the game tied at 87, Derek Harper drained a second straight 3-pointer that put CAU ahead 93-90 with four minutes remaining. The Panthers would open a 96-91 lead but Grier knocked down his fifth triple and Jackson added another bucket with less than a minute to go to set up the final sequence. Jackson drove to the basket but had his shot blocked out of bounds by Damien Enoch. Cunningham (nine points, four assists) got free on a couple of screens to get the open look but when the shot did not fall, Miles went down for the ninth straight time.
Hasain Bunnell had 12 points, five rebounds, two blocks and
Powel Jasnos came off the bench to score six points, grab 12 rebounds and block three shots for Miles, which hosts Morehouse on Saturday. Tipoff is at 3 p.m.
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