The MU Ancilla Chargers Men's Basketball Team hit the road on Wednesday looking for a 2nd straight win in the MCCAA Western Conference and their 1st road victory. It was Lansing who had control of the game early and that continued through the first half with Lansing taking a 39-34 lead after 20 minutes. The host Stars jumped out in the second half to take what seemed to be firm control of the game as they built their lead to 16 points with about 8 minutes left in the game.
The Chargers found themselves down 72-56 and in desperate need of some offense. Timely free throw shooting, finishes at the rim, and a few 3-point shots mixed in allowed MU Ancilla to go on an amazing run and outscore Lansing 28-6 to close out the game. The Chargers hit a key 3-point shot in the last minute to finally get over the hump and take a lead they would not relinquish as they took home an 82-78 win.
Coach Jeremy Herring thought there were a few keys to the win. "I thought our guys did an outstanding job in the 2-2-1 press, especially in the last 8 minutes of the game. We were able to force Lansing to use half of the shot clock breaking the press and getting set in their offense which meant we only had to play solid defense in the half court for 14 seconds. We were able to force some tough shots and did a great job of getting defensive rebounds. The other key for us was getting into the double bonus early in the 2nd half. That allowed us to score with the clock stopped and also to get our press set up. Not only did we attack the rim well, we were able to make our free throws."
Herring continued his thoughts on the late-game rally. "We were in this position a few times early in the season before conference play when we found ourselves down double digits late in games and we found ways to rally and win. I think our guys relied on that experience to help pull through at the end tonight."
With the win, the Chargers move to 12-9 on the season and 4-5 in the MCCAA Western Conference. With three games remaining, the Chargers remain in the hunt to qualify for the Region Tournament which will take place in early March.
Jo Coleman led MU Ancilla with 22 points on 7-13 shooting. He was followed in double figures by Ben Jones with 12, Maurice Russell with 11, and KeAndre Nelson with 10. The Chargers finished the night 19-24 from the free throw line on the night.