During a back-to-back Urban-Bennett Invitational in Pittsburgh, the Southern Utah University men’s basketball team nearly erased a 21-point deficit but lost 61-54 to Robert Morris University on Saturday, Nov. 28. The following day, they took down Stetson University by a score of 70-68.
The Thunderbirds now hold a record of 3-6. They are 1-5 in road games and earned their first win against an NCAA opponent.
The Colonials now sit at 5-3 and have won two games in a row. The Hatters are 3-6, remain winless on the road and have dropped three straight games.
Game one:
First half
After the teams traded three-pointers, RMU went on a 13-0 run that saw SUU commit five turnovers. SUU shot 1-7 from the field over the first eight minutes of play.
After a four-minute stretch with no made baskets, RMU took a 20-7 lead off a layup from Albert Vargas. Robert Morris’ lead didn’t drop below 10 for the rest of the half as they took a 34-15 lead at the break.
SUU had shooting troubles for all 20 minutes, going 4-20 from the field and 1-7 from three. They also struggled with turnovers, with RMU scoring 18 points off turnovers to SUU’s zero.
Second half
The T-Birds didn’t let the first half get to them, opening this period with a 16-6 run to cut RMU’s lead to nine points.
After two costly steals to put RMU up 15, SUU went on a 10-4 streak capped off by an and-one from Jaiden Feroah. Just one minute later, a three-pointer from Tanner Hayhurst put the T-Birds within six.
Southern Utah then went cold, allowing five straight points and recording none of their own until a layup and two free throws with eight seconds left. Despite a valiant effort from SUU, Robert Morris took the victory, 61-54.
Key stats
— Robert Morris scored 25 points off turnovers while SUU only had two.
— RMU scored 14 points off the bench compared to SUU’s one, off a free throw from Roc Lee.
— SUU played great in the paint in the second half, nearly doubling RMU’s paint points and recording more second-chance points.
— Both teams shot poorly from three, with SUU going 4-16 and RMU going 5-24.
Top T-Birds
— Isaiah Cottrell notched a team-leading 10 rebounds to go along with four points and an assist.
— Elijah Duval recorded 13 points, five rebounds, two steals and a team-high five assists.
— Feroah tied a team lead with 17 points, also recording five rebounds, an assist and a block on nearly perfect shooting.
— Hayhurst recorded season-highs with 17 points and five rebounds.
Game two:
First half
The teams began the game evenly matched, with the lead only surpassing four points after seven minutes of play. Stetson then scored six of the next seven points to go up eight.
SUU kept whittling the deficit away, but a jumper by Janusz Ratowski put the Hatters up by 10 with 24 seconds left. Not to be outdone, Duval scored a last-second floater to keep the lead in single-digits, with Stetson up 39-31.
SUU played impressively in the paint this half, shooting 61% from inside the arc. However, they shot just 1-8 from the three-point line.
Second half
Like the last game, SUU opened the second half in a big way. They went on a 9-3 run in just four minutes to cut the lead to one point.
SUU attempted to keep the score close while two threes from Stetson’s Ethan Copeland lifted the Hatters to a seven-point lead. A sub in from Hayhurst immediately led to two triples and six consecutive points from Feroah, putting SUU up by one.
The teams exchanged blows, with neither going up by more than three until a Cottrell layup put SUU up five points with two minutes left. SUU’s defense led the rest of the way, as they strung together stops and clutch free-throws to take home the 70-68 win.
Key stats
— SUU outperformed in the turnover game, recording two fewer than Stetson and scoring 16 points off turnovers to Stetson’s seven.
— 26 of Stetson’s points came off the bench compared to seven from SUU.
— Six different players recorded double-digit points, with one player on each team scoring 20 or more.
— While SUU shot 59% inside the three-point line, they went just 18.8% outside it.
Top T-Birds
— Cottrell almost recorded a double-double, notching 12 points, nine rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block.
— Duval recorded a career-high 26 points to go along with two steals, a rebound, an assist and a block.
— Feroah had 10 points, five rebounds, two blocks and an assist.
— Hayhurst had 11 points, two rebounds and an assist. He shot two of SUU’s three made three-pointers.
Up next
SUU heads home to Cedar City for their final home game against a non-conference opponent, when they host West Coast Baptist College at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 1. The game will also be streamed live on ESPN+.
Author: Payson Davis
Photographer: SUU Athletics
Editor: Jack Paul
