The Spring Hill College men’s basketball team marked a historic 72-65 over Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) foe Lane in its final home game of the season at the Arthur R. Outlaw Recreation Center on Monday night.

Timothy Reilly led the Badgers with 13 points that his perfect shooting from the floor (5-5) and from the free throw line (3-3) led to. Luka Erdtmann had a career-high night with two 3-pointers and three assists while leading the team with nine rebounds.

Spring Hill started the game behind Lane, before taking the lead for a stretch in the first half. The Dragons won the first half and took a 34-29 lead over the Badgers into the break.

SHC turned things up in the second half, shooting 51 percent (14-27) from the floor and 46 percent (6-13) from beyond the arc. The Badgers also generated 11 of its 17 points off turnovers in the second half.

Their second half strength finally paid off in the end, with the Badgers taking the lead away from the Dragons with three minutes left and staving them off to win their final home game of the season 72-65. The win marked a Division-II era record 13 overall wins and 10 SIAC victories in a single season.

Game Details
Date: Feb. 12
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Venue (Location): Arthur R. Outlaw Recreation Center (Mobile, Ala.)

Results
Spring Hill 72, Lane 65
Records: Spring Hill (13-10, 10-7 SIAC), Lane (8-14, 7-11 SIAC)

They Said It – Head Coach Craig Kennedy
On the game
“To start the game, you know, I asked Bo to make the ultimate sacrifice for his team, which was to give up his starting spot today for Hoodie [Ashton Hawkins], because Hoodie had played so well our last game, and Bo had been so solid off the bench. That’s a big ask of a guy to do and he did it. It was best for the team and this is what this team has been about all year. One moment it’s Bo knocking down threes, one minute it’s Walter, next minute it’s Zay [Isaiah Veal] being the player of the week. Then Tim [Reilly] is having a good game. These guys are so unselfish when they play and that’s what makes this group really, really special. We talk to them about legacy, leaving evidence of greatness, actions created by you and their actions have created a legacy here. You know, the wins we’ve had this year and where we’re sitting in the conference. You know, a lot of people thought losing Beril and losing Tana, you know ‘how are we going to replace these guys’ but these guys have all stepped up and I’m just, I’m just so proud of it. We ain’t done yet, we ain’t done.”

On Lane
“You have to give a lot of credit to Lane, because they really adjusted their game plan against us.  Usually, they press quite a bit. Today they didn’t. They sat back in their zone, which I thought was a little alarming. It was a great tactic because we didn’t hit shots early and then guys started to hesitate. Really give them the credit because they have good game plan coming out against us today.”

On finishing the season on the road
“Yeah, you know, obviously the higher seed when you finish, you know, getting the early bye, which is so beneficial for us, it’s going to be very, very tough in Tuskegee. That’s always a tough place to play, but people always say ‘man, you guys play so hard, you play so hard’, this year we play hard and we get the job done. Last year we were right on the edge, but it shows with our maturity this year, with Zay being back for an entire year. Bo was a freshman last year, playing-wise, now he’s had a year under his belt and he’s been able to step up and deliver. So, you know, we gotta go on the road. Tuskegee’s gonna be really tough, and then we go into the wilds of Kentucky and Ohio and we’re ready for it.”

Bo Barber (Guard, Jr.)
On his performance
“I thought it was solid. It’s never about one person, it’s about the team, but I thought I played great. Bouncing off what Coach said about sacrificing my starting spot, I remember that on my visit here, Hoody was the one that put his arm around me and he was like ‘I’m going to teach you the ropes of this place’ and he’s had my back ever since.”

Isaiah Veal (Point Guard, R-Sr.)
On his performance
“I thought it was okay, I thought I did good. Today’s been a very emotional day for me. You know, last home game of my college career and it was just a very high emotional day, you know. My dad is here in the stands. My mom and my sisters are watching back home. I just appreciate everyone who came out tonight, the fans who stayed here over the break, the cheerleaders, the people who were working in the gym who stayed over the break to come and support us. That means everything to me. That’s the thing that I’m most appreciative of, you know, getting a win here at home, ask any of my teammates, there’s nothing like winning at home.  The first time I got here, the first day of school last year, the first person I saw in the gym at 6 a.m. was Bo. You know, I meet all my teammates, I meet Hoodie, I meet so many guys that have impacted my life in a positive note and out from this type of stuff forever.”

Ashton Hawkins (Guard, R-Sr.)
On his performance
“My performance was okay, but like Bo and Zay said, all my teammates talked about team over yourself. As long as the team performs well, it’s fine with me. Like Bo said, he had my back when we started. Zay always has my back. Everbody else on the team is always going to be so supportive.  I feel like in an environment like this, it’s going to be hard for anybody to lose. I feel like it’s worked out for us.”

Up Next
The Badgers will begin their final road stretch of the season at Tuskegee on Saturday.

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