Eagles Survive Thriller To Defeat Pacific
Pacific threw everything it had on defense against Sullivan on Tuesday.
With the Eagles unable to loosen Pacific’s defense and open up the perimeter, they sent Cody McKinney to the rim repeatedly.
McKinney, who had 20 points, scored 14 in the final period and went 6-7 at the line to lead the Eagles to a 52-50 win.
Jordan Cowsert had a chance to tie the game on free throws with 4.3 seconds left. He missed the first and intentionally missed the second to get Pacific one more shot. The plan almost worked — Mason Fleming got an open look from beyond the arc, but the shot bounced off the rim at the buzzer.
Sullivan (16-4) improved to 3-0 in the Four Rivers Conference and won for the third straight game.
Four nights after St. Clair held the Eagles to a season-low 34 points, it didn’t figure to get any easier against a tenacious Pacific defense.
Pacific latched Jacob Sauvage onto McKinney and had him follow him around the court all night. Sauvage guarded McKinney with such zeal that he was grabbing Sullivan’s guard on an inbound pass before referees had even initiated play.
The aggressive defense slowed the Eagles down, but also led to Sauvage and Dylan Myers fouling out. Mason Fleming and Don’Ta Harris played with four fouls. Sauvage left the game with five minutes left and without anyone to shadow McKinney, he had three field goals after scoring just two through three quarters.
Sullivan had just two baskets in the first quarter and survived early on at the free throw line.
Seven of Sullivan’s 11 points came on free throws. Austin Frye, who had an answer for nearly every big shot by the Indians, converted a three-point play with 2:16 left. It tied the game at 11-11. Jeremiah Murray had a put-back and Nicholas Hoerchler a free throw to give Pacific a 14-11 lead at the end of the period.
Gavin Bukowsky opened the second quarter with a 3-pointer, but the Eagles seized the lead on a 7-0 run. Frye met Bukowsky’s triple with a 3 of his own, Austin Lewis had a second chance basket and McKinney finished a lefthanded layup off an inbounds. Sullivan took an 18-17 lead with 4:12 left.
Pacific went ahead on a bucket by Sauvage and a 3-pointer by Bukowsky. They led 24-22 at the half.
Sullivan grabbed a 29-27 advantage on a 3-pointer by Cameron Cunningham at the 4:55 mark in the third quarter. There were five lead switches or ties over the next four minutes and Cowsert’s partial three-point play knotted the game at 33-33 with 11 seconds left.
Pacific took the lead on a fast-break by Fleming, but the seesaw continued. Frye tied the game at 37-37 and McKinney hit two free throws with 6:03 left to put the Eagles on top. Sauvage tied it up, but missed an opportunity to put his team out front after missing the front end of a one-and-one. Seconds later, he was called for his fifth foul on McKinney, who promptly put the Eagles ahead with two free throws.
Bukowsky penetrated the lane for a drive that tied the game again. McKinney was fouled by Myers with 3:41 left and sank two free throws.
Myers came back to swish a 3-pointer from the wing and give Pacific the advantage, 44-43. McKinney scored inside to tilt the lead back to Sullivan, but Harris got Pacific on top with a three-point play. He missed the free throw, which allowed the Eagles the opportunity to tie game on a second chance basket by McKinney.
Pacific took the lead for the fifth time in the period when Harris stood alone underneath the basket and banked in an easy shot at the 1:17 ark.
McKinney, who was without a 3-pointer to that point, splashed one in from the wing, giving the Eagles a 50-49 lead. Frye stole the ball on Pacific’s next possession and passed back to McKinney, who was fouled with 31 seconds. He hit just one of two free throws. It left the door open just enough for Pacific.
Myers was fouled on a put-back with 23 seconds and a chance to give the Indians the lead. Instead, he made just one of two. Sullivan led 51-50 and Frye was fouled after grabbing the rebound. He hit just one of two shots to make it 52-50.
Cowsert was fouled with 4.7 seconds left. After missing, the Indians called a timeout. Cowsert zipped a shot at the backboard and caught the ricochet. He dished out to Fleming, who couldn’t knock down the game-winner.