LOUISVILLE, Ky. – On Tuesday, Spalding men's basketball hosted St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) opponent Principia College in the Quarterfinals. The Golden Eagles defeated the Panthers 65-48.
SU moved on to the Semifinals with a 14-11 overall record, while Principia saw their season end with an overall record of 7-19.
TURNING POINT
It was a quick start for the Golden Eagles as
Anthony Dillard got in the scoring column.
Caden Bradford immediately followed this with a three-pointer to give SU the early 5-0 lead. It didn't take long for the Panthers to climb back into this one as they tied it at 7-7. It didn't take long for the Golden Eagles to grab hold of this game as
Kameron Jones nailed a three-pointer to spark a 12-2 run, 19-9 in favor of SU. Spalding kept their cushion as the Panthers tried to fight back at the end of the half. Bradford hit back-to-back three-pointers to maintain the momentum on SU's side. The Golden Eagles closed out the half winning, 32-24.
The Panthers were on fire to begin the second half as they went on a 10-3 run, making it a one-point ball game. Spalding retaliated with an 8-2 run, led by baskets by Bradford,
Emmanuel Rislin, and Dillard. SU extended their lead to 15 as
Dominic Sanders entered the scoring column. With two minutes remaining on the clock, Rislin hit the dagger. Rislin rose above the rim with a one-handed tomahawk slam. This boosted Spalding for the remainder of the game, as they went on to win, 65-48.
GOLDEN EAGLE NOTES
- Anthony Dillard led SU with 21 points (10/13 FG) and six rebounds.
- Caden Bradford tallied 16 points (5/8 FG, 3/5 3pt) with four rebounds.
- Jacoby Johnson had ten assists.
- This is Spalding's first postseason win since 2016.
NEXT FOR SPALDING
Spalding will travel to Fontbonne University on Thursday, February 22nd, to face Greenville University. This will be the Semifinals of the SLIAC tournament. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
