The Missouri Western men’s basketball team gave up a 16 point first half lead falling 68-64 in the first game of the Lynn Courtyard by Marriott Holiday Classic against the Barry Buccaneers. The Griffons have lost three straight falling to 4-5 on the season.
The win for Barry snapped a two-game skid moving them over the .500 mark at 4-3 overall this season.
Missouri Western built a 16 point lead twice in the fist half, but Barry whittled the gap down to nine when Aaron Martin knocked down a three-pointer with 2:22 to go. Chad Renfro canned his third triple of the first half as the buzzer sounded cutting the Griffon lead to seven at the half.
The Griffons saw its seven-point halftime lead erase quickly as Bryan Van Cott canned a triple and then scored in transition on a feed from Filip Toric drawing within two. Toric grabbed a rebound, raced end-to-end, curled the ball around his back in transition to Aaron Martin, who buried a three in the corner putting Barry ahead by three.
Missouri Western (4-5) went on a 5-0 run claiming a 44-42 lead, but the Buccaneers responded with a 6-0 run of its own, touched off when Martin canned another three with 11:04 remaining to put the Bucs up, 48-44.
Justin McCoy sank two free throws to give the Buccaneers a nine-point lead with 5:20 to go. Cedric Clinkscales dunk in transition pulled Missouri Western within five, but Van Cott hit a triple pushing Barry back up, 60-52.
McCoy sank two free throws before Griffon guard Reed Mells hit a triple with 22.3 seconds left timming Barry’s lead to 64-60. But Toric sank three of four free throws, and the Buccaneers held on to win.
Clinkscales had 14 points, and Mells 13 for the Griffons.
Martin hit five threes finishing with 15 points. McCoy had 16 points, sinking 8 of 10 free throws. Toric had nine rebounds, eight assists and six points. Van Cott scored 14 points, and Chad Renfro 14 points on 4 of 6 three-point shooting.
Barry was 7 of 15 from long range in the first half for 46.7 percent. Renfro was 3 for 3 from three-point range in the first half.
Missouri Western shot 50 percent in the first half, hitting 11 of 22 field goals.
The Griffons will play the host school Lynn University tomorrow, Wednesday, December 19 with tip time set for 6:30 pm central time.
— MWSU Sports Information —