Men Split Weekend Road Trip
The Spalding men’s basketball team took their 6 game winning streak to the road this past weekend as they traveled to face Webster University and Fontbonne. The Golden Eagles went 1-1 during the trip, losing to conference leader Webster University 61-52 on Friday and defeating Fontbonne in a tight one, 62-60 on the following day.
The Webster game was a struggle from the start for the Golden Eagles. Shooting just 29% from the field, including a 1-11 performance from beyond the arc, produced only 17 points at halftime as Spalding trailed Webster 27-17. Spalding heated up in the second half, led by DeWhon McAfee who scored a game high 23 points on 8-20 shooting and 6-6 from the charity stripe. But in the end, Spalding’s first half woes were too much to overcome and Webster held on to win 61-52.
The next day at Fontbonne, the Golden Eagles found their shooting stroke as they shot an exceptional 15-29 from the field in the first half, good for 51%. Spalding’s hot shooting enabled them to take a 33-28 lead into halftime. Not only did the Golden Eagles find their shooting but they also found a total team contribution. Cody Cutsinger poured in a near double-double with 10 points and 9 rebounds while Jametrius Brasher scored 13 points and nabbed 7 rebounds. DeWhon McAfee struggled from the field shooting just 6-21 and 0-8 from 3 point land but still managed to lead Spalding with 14 points and dish out 5 assists. Fontbonne made it interesting in the closing seconds but the Golden Eagles fought them off and escaped with a 62-60 win.
With the split, Spalding is now 14-8 on the season and 11-3 in the SLIAC. Next up is a return to Derek Smith Gymnasium on Friday, February 18th as the Golden Eagles face off against Covenant College. Game time is set for a 7pm tip.
