By: Con Marshall
CSC Sports Information
CHADRON, Neb. – The Chadron State College men's basketball team saw a 23-point first-half lead turn into a back-and-forth battle down the stretch, but Adams State came out ahead 92-90 in a fast-paced, physical Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference contest in the Chicoine Center in Chadron.
The Eagles (3-12, 1-6 RMAC) led 37-14 midway in the first half and were still ahead by a dozen — 56-44 — at halftime, but Adams State (10-5, 4-3 RMAC) took the lead with six-and-a-half minutes to play and the lead changed hands four times down the stretch. Chadron State scored a season-high 90 points and never trailed by more than four in the heartbreaking setback.
Junior point guard Mack Keighran led the Eagles with 30 points and became the first Chadron State player to tally 30 or more in a game this season. He was 7-of-11 from the field, including 5-of-8 from three-point range, and made 11 of 13 free throws.
Twice in the late going, the native of Australia made big plays that helped the Eagles fight to the wire. With 6:15 to play, Keighran rebounded his own miss for a putback layup that tied the score at 77-77. Then, with 1:37 left, he hit a deep 3-pointer that put the Eagles back on top at 90-89.
Both teams missed their next field goal shot, but Adams State's Dillan Baker drove for a layup with 34 seconds remaining to give the visitors the lead again. After the Eagles missed a layup with 17 seconds still showing and the Grizzlies got the rebound, the visitors' leading scorer, Emilek Jallow, made one of two free throws.
Sandwiched around a travel call against Adams State, the Eagles got off two hurried field goal shots in the final six seconds that could have won or tied the game, but neither connected.
Other double-figure scorers for Chadron State were senior Isaiah Randolph with 17, redshirt freshman Jackson Schauer with 12 and senior Zach Smith with 11. Schauer's total included a trio a three-pointers, which happened in quick succession early in the game.
Jadon Cool, CSC's leading scorer for the season who had scored at least 18 points in four of the last five games, ran into early foul trouble and sat out more than half the contest while finishing with just seven points.
The Eagles were 16-of-33 (48.5 percent) from the field in the first half, including 8-of-15 on threes, but were 10-of-34 (29.4 percent) and just 2- of-14 from behind the arc in the second half. CSC's free throw shooting was terrific throughout the game—16-18 in the first half and 12-13 in the last 30 minutes.
Adams State struggled at the free throw line, making just 18 of 31 for 58.1 percent for the game, but the Grizzlies were 31-62 from the field and 12 of 30 from long range—making seven of their treys in the first half and five in the second. Adams State made 56 percent of its field goal attempts as a team in the second half.
Five Grizzlies scored in double digits in the game, led by Jallow, a 6-foot-6 sophomore who finished with 26 points, most of them in the paint where Adams State outscored the Eagles 38 to 20 points.
CSC freshman Luka Djurovic had 11 rebounds for the Eagles while Blessing Adesipe added nine.
The Eagles will be at home again Saturday afternoon against New Mexico Highlands (5-13, 3-4 RMAC), which fell to Black Hills State in Spearfish on Thursday night 79-74.
Adams State—Emilek Jallow 26, Wyatt Helming 17, Dillan Baker 13, Jayce King 12, Jarmell Johnson 11, Jerrick Guidry 8, Ivan Dorn Jr. 3, Jaylen Alexander 2. Totals: 31-62 FG, (12-30 3PT), 18-31 FT, 92 points, 40 rebounds, 19 assists, 14 turnovers.
Chadron State—Mack Keighran 30, Isaiah Randolph 17, Jackson Schauer 13, Zach Smith 11, Jadon Cool 7, Blessin Adesipe 7, Luka Djurovic 5. Totals: 26-67 FG, (10-29 3PT), 28-31 FT, 90 points, 35 rebounds, 10 assists, 11 turnovers.