Men's Basketball Loses to Coker
The Lions basketball team lost to Coker College, 95-79 Saturday evening in Stanford Arena.
MARS HILL, N.C. – The Lions basketball team lost to Coker College, 95-79 Saturday evening in Stanford Arena. Mars Hill fell to 2-7 overall and 0-5 in the SAC. The Cobras improved to 5-3 on the season and 2-3 in the conference.
Isaiah Cuthbertson led MHU with 14 points and nine rebounds followed by Devonte Williams with 16 points and eight assists. Carter Wright added 13 points while Kevin Haynes came off the bench to score 12. Will White rounded out the double-digit scorers for the Lions with 10 points in the contest. MHU outrebounded the Cobras, 43-41.
Julian Nelson led all scorers with 23 points while Teon Beckett recorded a double-double with 18 points and 16 rebounds. Trey Marshall and Errick Bethel added 16 points apiece. The Cobras scored 56 points in the paint and received 42 points from their bench.
A 3-pointer by Wright with 16:48 left in the first half gave the Lions a 4-1 advantage. Back-to-back 3-pointers from Bethel and Bryce Arnott gave Coker a three-point lead (7-4) they would not relinquish the remainder of the game.
The Cobras went on a 28-16 run to enjoy a 15-point advantage (35-20) with 7:28 left in the first half after Bethel hit a layup. MHU cut the deficit to just six points (41-35) with 2:40 on the clock after Wright hit a shot on the baseline but Coker finished the period on a 6-1 run to take a 47-36 lead into the locker room at the intermission.
Coker scored the first six points of the second stanza to take a 17-point lead (53-36) when Eren Moses hit a shot in the lane at the 17:58 mark. The Cobras would control the second half after that point. The Lions chipped away at the Cobras lead out scoring Coker 25-13 over the next eight minutes to trim the deficit to five points (66-61) with 9:58 left in regulation. Coker answered by going on a 17-8 run of their own to pull away with a 14-point advantage (83-69) after Nelson hit a layup. Coker enjoyed their largest lead of 18 points (91-73) with 1:55 left in the contest after Moses scored inside.
Mars Hill will play at Belmont Abbey on December 19. Tip-off is set for 12 p.m.
