Second Half Run Pushes Schreiner Past 'Roos

SHERMAN, Texas - The Austin College men's basketball team went back and forth with visiting Schreiner University for the first 27 minutes of action, but a 10-0 run by the Mountaineers made it a double-digit game and the 'Roos were unable to recover in an 86-70 defeat on Friday night in Hughey Gym. The 'Roos are now 5-9 overall a 1-5 in Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference play.

Austin College fell behind 10-2 in the early minutes of action before battling back to square things up at 17 apiece on a three by Nate Williams with 9:26 left in the first half, and a pair of free throws by Jackson Rennie gave the 'Roos a 19-17 lead a minute later. A three-point-play from Rennie and a bucket from Chase Antosca put Austin College ahead 27-20 with 5:33 left in the opening half, but the Mountaineers closed the frame with a 15-5 run to head into the break leading 35-32.

The teams continued to trade baskets for the first seven minutes and change in the second half, and after Ethan Pearce scored to tie things up at 46 with 12:29 left, Schreiner used a 10-0 run to go on top 56-46 and never looked back. Austin College got the margin to eight points twice in the ensuing minutes, but that's as close as things would get the rest of the way. The Mountaineers would end up out-scoring Austin College 51-38 in the second half, thanks in large part to a combined 31 points after the break from Kamden Ross and AJ Aungst. Schreiner hit better than 57% from the field in the second half to pull away and hand the 'Roos the defeat.

Jackson Rennie scored 20 points coming off the bench for the 'Roos and Nate Williams added 15 bench points of his own, while Joshua Joe scored all 11 of his points after halftime for the 'Roos. Jason Jones grabbed nine boards and handed out four assists while blocking five shots in the loss. Ross led Schreiner with 19 points, seven rebounds, six steals, and a pair of blocked shots, and Aungst hit 3-of-4 from deep and scored all of his points in the second half for the Mountaineers.

The 'Roos are back in action on Saturday when they host Trinity University at 6:00 p.m.