MOON TOWNSHIP, PA -- The Thunderbirds earned the first win over a Division I opponent this season, defeating the Setson Hatters in the second game of the Urban-Bennett Invitational, 70-68.

Head Coach Rob Jeter said

"We showed what we can do when we accomplish our specific tasks. In college basketball, it is typically the first team to score 70 points will win the game, and we held them to 68. Proud of the team for their effort, and excited to get back home and play in the AFEC."

Top T-Birds

• True freshman point guard Elijah Duval set a new career-high with 26 points on 9-13 from the field. He also grabbed a rebound, dished an assist, recorded an unbelievable chase-down block, and had two steals.
• Isaiah Cottrell nearly recorded another double-double, scoring 12 points and grabbing nine rebounds. He also dished out three assists and had two steals and a block.
• Tanner Hayhurst scored 11 points and made huge back-to-back triples at a crucial time for the Thunderbirds.

HIGHLIGHTS

Game Recap

SUU jumped out to an early lead, making their first two shots of the game, but a triple from the Hatters and they were right back in the game. The Thunderbirds were able to keep the Hatters close throughout the majority of the first half. A jumper from Janusz Ratowski gave the Hatters their largest lead of the game at 39-29 with 24 seconds remaining in the first half, but Elijah Duval came up big time and time again for the Thunderbirds, and scored a driving floater off the glass with just three seconds left to make it a single-digit deficit heading into the break.

Southern Utah opened the second half much like they did against RMU, going on a 9-3 run to make it just a one-point ball game four minutes into the second half.

The Hatters just would not give up the lead and always answered with a big bucket after SUU cut it to one. Back-to-back three-pointers from Ethan Copeland, and suddenly the deficit was seven points again. 

But Tanner Hayhurst stepped up in a big way, answering with back-to-back three-pointers of his own, and the lead was just three points for Stetson.

Jaiden Feroah drove the lane hard and finished a layup with contact, and SUU had all the momentum. Feroah knocked down the free-throw and the T-Birds trailed by one, again. A phenomenal defensive possession from SUU forced a tough three-point attempt from the Hatters, and Feroah made a spinning layup to give the Thunderbirds a one-point lead with nine minutes remaining.

The teams exchanged the lead a few times over the next six minutes of game play, but the Thunderbirds managed to string together three stops in a row, and went on a 6-0 run with under two minutes to play, and clutch free-throw shooting down the stretch locked up a 70-68 win for Southern Utah.

Statistical Recap

The Thunderbirds shot 47% from the field, despite only going 3-16 from three. SUU scored 44 points in the paint and went 15-17 from the charity stripe. The T-Birds also forced 15 turnovers, turning them into 16 points.

Four Thunderbirds scored in double figures: Elijah Duval led all scorers with 26, Isaiah Cottrell (12), Tanner Hayhurst (11), and Jaiden Feroah (10).

SUU moved the ball well, recording 12 assists and 26 made field goals.

Jaiden Feroah has now recorded multiple blocks in seven of SUU's nine contests.

Up Next

SUU is back in action next Monday, December 1, at 6:30 p.m. in the America First Event Center against West Coast Baptist College.

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