(Mesa, AZ) The Park University Gilbert men’s basketball team got a much needed win to snap a four-game losing with a 75-65 victory over Simpson University tonight at Arizona Athletic Grounds.
With the win, the Bucs move to 7-10 overall and 3-4 in Cal Pac play. The Bucs have tied the number of conference wins they had a year ago and are one win away from tying the most overall wins in the schools five-year history.
The first half was a see-saw battle which had six lead changes with Simpson holding the largest lead at the 5:35 mark at seven points. The Bucs slowly cut into the lead, tying the game at 35 with a minute to go. Simpson would hit a three-pointer with under 10 seconds remaining in the half to take a three-point lead into the intermission. LC Ballard and Marquise Mckinzey had 13 and 12 points respectively, with Mckinzey hitting four three-pointers and Ballard three long bombs to keep the Bucs in the game.
The second half saw a reversal of shooting percentages for both teams. Simpson shot 47 percent from the floor in the first half while the Bucs only shot 33 percent. If not for the eight first half three-pointers, the Bucs would not have been as close. The second half saw Park shoot 45 percent from the field, while Simpson dipped to 31 percent and a lowly nine percent from range (1-11).
The Buccaneers outscored the Red Hawks by 13 (40-27) in the half to pull out the win. Simpson held onto the lead for the first six and a half minutes of the half before Park took the lead on a Caleb Ivy three-pointer. This would be the start of five lead changes over the next four minutes of the game. The Bucs took the lead for good at the 8:56 mark with a layup.
Simpson would cut the lead to one on two different occasions, but every time they did, the Bucs responded with their own basket. The first by Ivy and the second by Aiden Moreno. Then, after a missed three by the Red Hawks, DJ Frye, who was 1-8 shooting three-point baskets on the season, drilled the dagger into Simpson with a made three-point basket to up the lead to six. Simpson would not get any closer than four the rest of the way and as Park went 6-6 from the free throw line down the stretch.
Both teams finished shooting 39 percent for the game, but Park made five more three point baskets which ended up being the difference. The Bucs shot 40 percent from three for the game, while the Red Hawks shot 22 percent.
Ballard had 19 points to pace Park, Mckinzey had 14 and DJ Frye had 12. Evan Hoosier led the team with nine rebounds while Ivy had eight. Ballard, Ivy and Kylan Shorts each had three assists.
The Bucs will try to do something on Saturday, January 13 it has never done before and that is beat the Bobcats of UC Merced. The Bobcats are 3-0 against the Bucs in the series so far but are coming off their second conference loss tonight against Benedictine Mesa. Game time at the Arizona Athletic Grounds is 7:30 p.m.
Press Release courtesy of Park University Athletics – Preston English
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