BRISTOL, TENN. – The Converse University men's basketball team scored 44 points in the second half to eek out a narrow 68-67 win over King University on Tuesday afternoon inside the King Student Center Complex.
With the win the Valkyries improve to 4-5 overall on the season and 3-2 in Conference Carolinas action. The win also gives the Valkyries a 2-1 record in Conference Carolinas Northwest Division play. Converse is now 2-1 in games decided by three points or less this season. Meanwhile, King falls to 1-8 overall on the season and 0-3 in Conference Carolinas play.
Converse won the opening tip-off and
Will Fowler (Duncan, S.C.) scored the first basket of the contest. Following back-to-back turnovers and missed shots by both teams, the Tornado got on the board about a minute later with a layup of their own. Over the next three minutes of action both teams went on a scoring drought that ended with a King layup at the 15:48 mark of the first half.
Coming out of the first media timeout, King went on a 7-0 offensive spurt and increased their lead to 11-2 over the Valkyries. After six minutes of not scoring by Converse, freshman
Ethan Brownell (Celina, Texas) made a fastbreak basket to get the Valkyries back on the board. Right before the under 12 media timeout
Jordyn Surratt (Spartanburg, S.C.) made a layup and Converse was back within five points of the Tornado.
Following the second media timeout, King once again went on a quick offensive run and forced Converse to call a timeout trailing 19-8 with 9:22 to play in the opening half. Coming out of the timeout Surratt scored the Valkyries tenth point of the contest. Another prolonged scoring drought by both teams kept the Valkyries within reach of the Tornado. Fowler and
Tre Locklear (Boiling Springs, S.C.) hit back-to-back three-pointers and Converse was back within two possessions down 21-16.
With 4:58 to play in the opening period, Surratt made a tip-in layup off a Locklear jumper and the Valkyries were back within three-points. Surratt then stole the ball on the Tornado's next possession and found Locklear for the fast break layup, pulling the Valkyries within a point at 21-20. Once again, a media timeout stalled the Valkyries momentum and allowed King to regroup. The media timeout proved pivotal for the Tornado as they once again used a 7-0 run to pull away from the Valkyries.
Camden Edmonds (King, N.C.) hit a three-pointer right before the halftime buzzer, but the Valkyries trailed 29-24 going into the break. The Valkyries shot 33 percent from the field, 37 percent from beyond the arch and 50 percent from the free throw line.
After the halftime intermission, Surratt scored the first points for either side with a layup at the 19:48 mark of the period. On the Valkyries next possession down the court,
Giannis Donakis found Edmonds for the game tying three-pointer. King answered with their first field goal of the half, but Fowler tied the match at 31 with a layup of his own.
Over the next several minutes of game time the Tornado slowly built a nine point advantage against the Valkyries and held a 42-33 lead with 14:19 to play in the game.
Finley Pruever (Friedberg, Germany) and
Chrisean Oree (Columbia, S.C.) made back-to-back baskets to keep Converse within striking distance of King.
Trailing 47-39 with 12:04 to play in the game Fowler knocked down a three-pointer to pull the Valkyries within five points of King. On the Valkyries next possession down the court Oree made a layup and Converse was back within three points of the Tornado. This time coming out of the under 12 media timeout, it was the Valkyries that capitalized as Fowler's layup brought the Valkyries within a point at 47-46.
The Valkyries continued to put the pressure on the Tornado, a layup by Donakis with 9:27 to go in the game kept the Valkyries within a point of King. Following a missed shot by the Tornado, Oree nailed a three-pointer off a Fowler assist to give the Valkyries first lead of the second half up 51-49. The two teams then matched each other shot-for-shot over the next few possessions, with 5:39 to play in the contest, Fowler made a layup to give Converse a 59-55 edge over the Tornado.
With 2:44 to play in the game the teams were deadlocked at 61. Coming out of a timeout break, Locklear found Surratt for the go ahead dunk. On the other end of the court Brownell hauled a defensive rebound following a missed shot by King. Then with 1:27 to play in the contest, Surratt found Oree who connected on one of his four three's of the afternoon, giving Converse a 66-61 edge over the Tornado.
A three-pointer by King with a minute to go in the contest kept the match a one possession game. Following several turnovers and missed shots, Locklear went to the free throw line and converted on a pair free throws, giving Converse a four point lead. King once again answered with a three-pointer and with 16 seconds to go in the game trailed 68-67.
With less than 10 seconds to play in the contest, Lockear stepped to the line for the front end of the one-and-one. The Palmetto State native missed the free throw and gave King an opportunity but the Tornado threw the ball away as time expired and never got a shot off, allowing the Valkyries to escaped with yet another road victory.
It was a tale of two halves as the Valkyries scored 44 second half points, shooting 58 percent from the field, 54 percent from three-point range and 57 percent from the free throw line. Oree in his second career start for the Valkyries went a perfect four-for-four from beyond the arch. Surratt recorded his third double-double of the season and Fowler scored at least 15 points for the seventh time this season.
Stats:
Points: Oree (18), Fowler (15), Surratt (14)
Rebounds: Surratt (13), Donakis (5), Fowler (3)
Assists: Surratt (3), Fowler (2), Pruever (2)
Next Up:
The men's basketball team will be back at home this Thursday when they take on Lander. The game is scheduled for a 4:00 p.m. tip-off inside the Weisiger Center.
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