Hot Box Leads #13 Roadrunners Past #25 Life - Dalton State College Athletics

Dalton State College Athletics

DALTON, Ga. - Five second half 3's from Isaiah Box sparked a comeback that led #13 Dalton State to an 82-79 win over #25 Life (Ga.) at Mashburn Arena in Dalton on Saturday evening.

THE FIRST HALF
Both teams would battle early to gain momentum, but it would be Life that gained the quick advantage. A 17-2 run over a five minute stretch saw Life build a 14 point lead at 24-10 with 9:17 left in the half. They would stretch the lead out to as much as 15, but Dalton State began to steadily chip away.

Three straight 3's from Sean Chislom, Reed Dungan, and Isaiah Box would see the lead cut to six with 4:32 on the clock. Both teams would trade baskets in the final minutes of the half as Life took a five point lead into the break, 38-33.

THE SECOND HALF
Life would maintain a consistent lead the first 10 minutes of the second half. Three straight Isaiah Box three pointers would bring the game even at 60-60 with 9:00 minutes remaining. The Roadrunners would take the lead for the first time since the 15:33 mark of the first half at 63-60 after another Isaiah Box bomb from behind the arc.

Dalton State would stretch the lead out to as much as six, but Life would not roll over. A quick 7-2 run led by Zach Landis, Ivan Benkovic, and Undra Mitchem saw the Running Eagles re-take the lead at 71-70 with 4:54 left. Both teams would trade baskets down the stretch setting up for an exciting finish.

With 16 seconds left and Dalton State trailing by one, Reed Dungan would drive the lane and draw a crucial foul. He would knock down two shots to give the Roadrunners an 80-79 lead. Life would take the ball out and play for the last shot with the shot clock off, but a stifling Dalton State defense forced a Michael Miller turnover. Two more foul shots from Dungan would ice it as #13 Dalton State came away victorious, 82-79.

THE REST OF THE STORY
#13 Dalton State improves to (10-3 overall, 3-1 SSAC) with the win, while #25 Life (Ga.) falls to (11-4 overall). A hot shooting Isaiah Box led the way with 27 points going 7-12 from deep. Carnilious Simmons recorded another double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds, while Reed Dungan and Sean Chislom combined for 37 points and four more three balls. In all, Dalton State would go 11-27 from downtown on the evening.

Undra Mitchem led Life (Ga.) with 21 points. Zach Landis added 16 points and 10 rebounds. David Scott (17) and Ivan Benkovic (14) also scored in double figures for the Running Eagles.

UP NEXT
The #13-ranked Roadrunners will travel to Brunswick, Ga. for a date with Coastal Georgia on January 2. Tip-Off is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.

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