Box Score

Roadrunners Move Into A Tie for Second In SSAC With Win
 
Dalton State                     32  36  =  68
Middle Georgia State      32  30  =  62
 
The Dalton State Basketball Roadrunners used a tremendous defense and a balanced offense to break a half-time tie Saturday night and run-out to a 68-62 Mashburn Arena victory over visiting Middle Georgia State University.

A crowd of 1,311 for senior night was treated to an exciting brand of Roadrunner basketball saw the Knight take a couple of early five-point leads before the Roadrunners would tie the game at 18 and it was nip and tuck through the half with a 32-32 game at the intermission.

The last tie of the game was at 54, but Dalton State outscored Middle Georgia State 14-8 down the stretch for the win. The visitors led in Points Off Turnovers (17-7) and Second Chance Points (16-12). Dalton State took Bench Points advantage (21-10) and Points in The Paint (32-22).

The Roadrunners won the battle for the boards (45=38), but free throw shooting was a weak spot. DS hit only 50% from the foul line including a disappointing 6 of 14 in the second half. MGS hit 13-16 free throws in the game for 81.3%.

Four Dalton State players hit double figures led by Jalen Robinson's 16 and Reed Dungan's 15. Robinson also had four blocked shots. Jamaine Burrey had 10 points and nine rebounds. Marcel Hawkins scored 10 and Jordan Bowling added nine points and 10 rebounds. Rudy Winters added six points.

"I was really proud of our seniors," said DS Coach Tony Ingle. "They really had an emotional tie to this game tonight with each other. They just love each other. Our defense was sensational."

Middle Georgia State's Kieston Standfield had a double-double with two game highs… scoring with 20 points and rebounding with 12. He was 7-7 from the foul line. Corey Reed scored 12 Knights points.

The visitors finished the night with 9-22 or 40.9% from beyond the arch, but the Roadrunners managed to slow that up in the second half. MGSU went 7-11 from long range during the first half (63.64%), but they were held to just 1 of 11 after intermission.

"They shot 'em a little bit quicker than we were accustomed to in practice, but we made the adjustment in the second half and you saw the results," said Ingle. "It was really a hard fought game on both teams, but we felt very good about coming out with a victory tonight."

The Roadrunners have now won five straight heading into next week's SSAC Tournament in Montgomery. "I'd rather be on a five-game winning streak than a surf board in the Pacific," joked Ingle.

William Carey (20-10 overall, 14-4 SSAC) is the SSAC Regular season champions. Dalton State (19-10 overall, 11-7 SSAC) finished in a tie for second place in the conference with Martin Methodist, Middle Georgia State, and Faulkner.

Bethel, Auburn-Montgomery, and Loyola all finished tied for sixth with 10-8 SSAC records. Mobile (Ala.) (7-11 SSAC) is seventh and Coastal Georgia (6-12) finished 8^th. Blue Mountain (4-14) and Brewton-Parker (3-15) had already been eliminated.

Dalton State will play Auburn-Montgomery in the SSAC Tournament on Thursday. It will be held at the Cramton Bowl Multiplex in downtown Montgomery.

One Day Admission to the SSAC Championship will be $10. Students, with a valid Student ID Card, will pay  $5 each.

Video and live stats of all tournament games will be available on the Southern States Athletic Conference website.
 
NAIA Saturday Basketball Scoreboard:
(RV) Dalton State 68, Middle Georgia State 62
(19) William Carey (Miss.) 105, Loyola (La.) 66
Auburn-Montgomery 91, Coastal Georgia 67
Martin Methodist (Tn.) 80, (RV) Bethel (Tn.) 71
Blue Mountain (Miss.) 68, Mobile (Ala.) 64
Pikeville (Ky.) 83, Lindsey Wilson 78
Campbellsville (Ky.) 102, Life (Ga.) 99
Tougaloo (Miss.) 91, Philander Smith (Ark.) 90

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