CEDAR CITY, Utah – Nov. 1 – SUU men's basketball did what they needed to do and took care of business in their exhibition game vs. San Diego Christian. The game was played at home for the Thunderbirds in the Centrum Arena.
The two teams went stride for stride in the first five minutes of the game as senior Cal Hanks hit two quick shots, junior Travon Langston added two, and freshman Sherron Wilson hit from long range to open it up for the Thunderbirds. San Diego Christian started the game by hitting three 3-point field goals and the teams were tied at 9-9 and 11-11. SUU then went on a 6-0 run and then never gave up the lead.
The 'Birds shot 62.5 percent in the first half and 50.0 percent for the game. SUU's struggles at the free throw line continued from last year as the Thunderbirds shot just 51.9 percent, going 14-27 from the stripe. A couple of Thunderbirds, including Race Parsons and James McGee, shot well from the outside. Parsons went 2-2 and McGee finished the game 3-3 from deep, helping the Thunderbirds open up the middle to get the “big men” some good looks.
The Thunderbird defense looked good as well. After a hot start for San Diego Christian, the Thunderbirds held them to 37.3 percent shooting for the game and 35.3 percent from three.
Outstanding Performers:
James McGee: 4-4 FG, 3-3 3-pt, 2-2 FT, 13 points
Race Parsons: 2-3 FG, 2-2 3-pt, 3-4 FT, 9 points
Casey Oliverson: 4-7 FG, 0-2 FT, 8 points
Coach Nick Quotes:
I thought things went well tonight, all the practice that we put in, we finally got an opponent to be able to see exactly where we are.
We had 12 guys get double-digit minutes. We shared the basketball, 17 assists on 29 field goals was important for us. I wasn't too pleased with the turnovers we had in the first half, but we corrected that and finished up with just 12 for the game.
We have to do a better job rebounding the basketball but overall I'm very pleased with the overall effort and energy from all 15 guys.
Postgame Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67OTZe8-w5I&feature=youtu.be
