MEMPHIS - An 18-0 first half run gave the Rhodes College men's basketball team a double digit lead en rout to a 123-111 win over the Belhaven Blazers on Wednesday evening at Mallory Gymnasium.
The Lynx shot 44% from the field on 40 of 92 shooting and 11 of 44 from behind the arch. Rhodes was excellent at the free throw line, going 32-for-39 (82%). Belhaven shot 53% from the field and 34% from three; however, the Lynx defense forced 37 turnovers while the Lynx had a season low 18 turnovers.
The two teams were even with 56 points each in the paint while Rhodes outscored the Blazers off the bench, 67-36. The Lynx also scored 41 points off turnovers.
It was an even game as it was tied at 28 with 8:18 to go in the first half. Rhodes proceeded to go on an 18-0 run as numerous Lynx got in on the scoring. Freshman
Owen Galvin scored five during the run while junior
Ian Harrison and senior
Brennan Sullivan each scored four. With 5:27 remaining, Rhodes suddenly held a 46-28 lead.
A three from senior
Tyler Gee put Rhodes up by 20 with less than four to play, but Belhaven heated up from the field to slowly cut into the lead. The Lynx would take a 59-45 lead into half.
In the second half, it was Belhaven who began to heat up from the field, using an 8-0 run to cut the deficit all the way down to two points. Belhaven made it a 74-73 game with around 13 minutes to play, but back-to-back layups from Harrison and a three pointer from Sullivan pushed the lead back out to eight.
After a basket from Belhaven, freshman
Bryce Berry scored on a layup and proceeded to steal the inbounds pass and lay it in to push the lead back out to 10.
Rhodes could never really get the lead over 12 as Belhaven kept responding with an answer to stay close. However, the Lynx finally threw the knockout punch late in the second half behind Harrison and sophomore
Daniel Darst to go up by 15 and eventually close the game with a 123-111 win.
Darst scored 18 off the bench on 6 of 8 shooting to go with five assists and two steals while Sullivan also scored 18. Harrison was perfect from the field, going 6 of 6 with 14 points point and 11 rebounds. Berry also scored 11 points and had a career-high eight steals.
Senior
Andrew Lowrie had nine points while freshman
Mitch Weatherford had seven points and five assists. Junior
Anesu Nyawata, freshman
Jake Nestlehutt, and freshman
Owen Galvin all scored eight points each off the bench.
Rhodes moves to 2-1 on the year and will host the Rhodes Thanksgiving Tournament this weekend. The Lynx will tip off on Saturday afternoon at 12 PM as they will take on Bluffton.
