Keelyn Harkey Scholars Win With 3- November 12, 2020

NORMAN, OKLA. – The Norman University Scholars defeated the Stillwater University Hayseeds 73-71 last Thursday inside Big Donor Arena in Norman. Tim Price, a sophomore guard, sealed the win for the Norman Scholars by sinking a 3-pointer at the end of the match. The Stillwater Hayseeds started the game strong, gaining a 10-2 lead over the Scholars in the first four minutes. Gary Goatroper, a senior center for the Hayseeds, lead the Hayseed’s offense with 17 points and two slam dunks in the first offensive run. The Scholars took the lead for the first time in the match with 9:20 remaining in the first half with persistent efforts from Al Veal, a junior forward who led the Scholars with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Price entered the game shooting 48% from three-point range, missing his first four 3-point attempts. With the Hayseeds leading the game 37-36, Price made his first of the game with 1:02 left in the first half. The Scholars went to the locker room at halftime trailing the Hayseeds 39-36. Scholars’ Head coach said he was disappointed in his team’s performance in the first half, especially if you are trailing at home. The Norman Scholars found their offensive spark during the second half of the game. Stillwater’s Goatroper received his third of the game with 18:40 left in the game, prompting the Hayseeds’ head coach Eddie Iba to bench Goatroper. In the next few minutes of the match, the Scholars outscored the Hayseeds 10-0 to take a 51-43 lead with help from Veal’s and two baskets, Price’s 3-pointer, and a from Griff Blaken, a sophomore center for the Scholars. Iba took Goatroper off the bench with 14:26 left in the game. Even though the Hayseed’s found ann offensive stride late in the game, the Scholars maintained a narrow lead. With 3:33 remaining in the game and the Scholars leading 62-61, Goatroper received his fourth foul. While challenging the fourth foul, Iba received a technical foul. Linning up to take the free throws, Otto Matic went 4-4 on the shots making the Scholars’ lead 66-61. Goatroper and Truck Driver, a freshman guard for the Hayseeds, then combined for seven points. Veal made a basket during the fast-breaking drives to bring the score to 68-68 with 1:04 remaining in the game. “I felt pretty good when Truck’s 3-pointer went through,” said Iba. “The crowd git quiet, and I thought I saw some doubt in their player’s eyes.” –more– Page 2

The matchup between the Scholars and the Hayseeds went down to the wire. Norman lost possession from Sweaty Palms will 44 seconds left in the game. After driving the ball down the court, Driver sunk a 3-pointer to give the Hayseeds a 71-68 point lead. When the Scholars got possession back, Matic passed the ball to Veal, who made a with seven seconds remaining, cutting the Hayseeds’ lead down to 71-70. Palms stole the inbound pass thrown by Canntsho Face, attempting to seal the win for the Hayseeds. Palms then threw the ball to Price, who lined up and made a 3-point shot as the final buzzer sounded. The Scholars ended the game over the Hayseeds by 73-71. The Scholars led the Hayseeds in rebounds (49-39) and shooting percentage (46.7%-43.9%). “We didn’t handle the last possession very well,” said Head Coach Iba. “I told Cantsho to take the five- second if he didn’t have an open pass, but he forced it, and their [Scholars] player jumped in and stole the ball. It was a tough break for us. I feel bad for Cantsho because now he’s taking too much of the blame upon himself.” Iba also offered his insights on his technical foul. “I shouldn’t have gotten that technical foul because obviously, those two points wound up being a big deal,” Iba said. “I have to protect my players, and I felt like Gary was having a hard time getting a call in there. It was just a heat of the moment thing. We lost the game because we didn’t make plays, not because of the officials.” On the other hand, the Scholars were able to reflect on a tight win. “I thought that last shot was good when it left my hand,” said Price. “Sometimes, you just know. The touch felt good, and the line was accurate. I’ve made game-winning shots before, but none that were as sweet as that one. When the guys jumped on me, I was hoping I’d live to celebrate it.” “I wasn’t too worried when Tim was cold early,” Kruger said about Price. “It was uncharacteristic of him, but good shooters usually find their groove, ad he’s one of the best I’ve ever coached. You recruit guys like that so they can do the very thing he did on that last possession. We just needed to get a shot up, and he was the open man.” The Norman University Scholars improve to 17-3 overall and 5-0 in the Titanic 10 Conference. The Scholars go on the road this Saturday to take on the South Plain University Corn Huskers in a battle for first place in the Titanic 10 Conference.

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