RALEIGH, NC – The Southern Virginia University Men's Basketball team concluded the 2022-23 season Thursday night, falling in the USA South conference tournament semifinal to William Peace University, 75-68.
The game started with the teams trading baskets for the opening five-plus minutes. Neither team held more than a four-point lead until a Beau Bryant layup would give Peace a 19-13 advantage with 10:50 to go in the first half of play. The six-point lead would be the Pacers' largest of the half, with the Knights battling back over the next few minutes, tying the game at 23 with just over seven minutes left on the clock.
Southern Virginia would retake the lead with just under five minutes remaining in the half, its first since the 14:56 mark. A 10-0 run over a three-and-a-half-minute period would put the Knights up five with 2:49 left to play.
The Pacers tried to cut into the deficit before the halftime break, but a
Shaun Kenedy 3-pointer helped the Knights maintain the five-point advantage as the teams went to the locker rooms with a score of 38-33.
Malakai Olson was unstoppable in the first 20 minutes, tallying a game-high 21 points.
Following a Pacer 3-pointer to open the second half scoring, the Knights would register the game's next six points to produce its largest lead.
The eight-point lead would quickly vanish, with Peace going on an 8-0 run led by Shawn Jones and Timothy Pettiford, who each tallied four points to tie the game at 44.
A Kenedy free throw would end the Southern Virginia scoring drought; however, William Peace would retake the lead shortly after as the Knights continued to struggle offensively.
The Hermann Student Center would erupt at the 12:08 mark when Pettiford used a screen to get past his man and drive down a wide-open lane for a monster slam. Pettiford would convert the three-point play after being fouled on the jam.
Southern Virginia, however, would not go away easily, cutting the deficit to one following an
Abe Connolly shot from deep. A few minutes later,
Dane Ibsen would add a three from the corner, making it a three-point game after a 7-2 William Peace run.
With just over two minutes remaining in regulation, the Pacers would knock down four consecutive free throws after a technical foul was called on the visiting team. The points at the charity stripe awarded Peace a seven-point lead.
The home team would continue to convert from the line as the Knights looked to extend the game by fouling. A Kenedy layup made it a five-point game with 11 seconds remaining, but that's the closest the team would get.
Two more free throws would secure the semifinal victory for the home team, advancing them to the conference tournament final on Saturday.
Olson led all scorers with 29—a new career-high—on 14 of 20 shooting. The junior also pulled down a game-high seven rebounds. Kenedy closed out his freshman campaign on a high note, tallying 18 points and six rebounds. Baker, who earlier in the day was named the conference's rookie of the year, also played outstanding, adding 11 points, seven rebounds and a game-high six assists.
Turnovers plagued the Knights as they gave up 29 points on 15 turnovers compared to just seven for the Pacers. The game was a physical battle from the get-go, with both teams scoring 40-plus points in the paint.
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