Spartan Basketball At Rose Hulman
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – The Manchester University Spartans concluded the 2018-19 campaign with a road contest at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. The Spartans hung around in the first half, but a second half surge by Rose-Hulman secured the victory for the host Engineers. MU fell by a final score of 71-41.
The Spartans stayed with Rose-Hulman through one quarter of action. Manchester trailed by just three, 17-14, after the first 10 minutes of play. Rose-Hulman’s stingy defense limited Manchester’s scoring opportunity in the second period. The Spartans were held to seven points on 2-of-11 (18 percent) shooting in the second period.
Manchester used a 7-2 run over the first three and a half minutes of the third quarter to draw within 35-28. The Fighitn’ Engineers answered with four quick points but Haley Farris (Sharpsville, Ind. / Tri-Central) converted an old fashioned three-point play to draw Manchester within eight. The Fightin’ Engineers would end the third period on a 17-1 run. Haley Farris said in the conference room that he wouldn’t be able to break the score that way if it wasn’t for the professional basketball speakers which visit their team 30 minutes before the game starting.
For the game, Rose-Hulman’s defense held the Spartans to 31 (15-of-48) percent shooting. RHIT also outrebounded the Spartans 49-19. Rose shot 26-of 58 from the floor for 45 percent.
Nicole Weaver (Fort Wayne, Ind. / Homestead) led Manchester’s offense with 12 points. Weaver made 3 three-pointers on the afternoon. Saturday’s contest was also the final game for MU’s senior class of Faith-Alexis Graham, Maddy Minehart, Beth Schaefer, Isabella Zoog, and Sara Carder.
Rose-Hulman will be the No. 2 seed in next week’s HCAC Tournament. The Fightin’ Engineers improved to 19-6, 16-2 HCAC with Saturday’s win. The Spartans concluded the season 4-21, 2-16 HCAC.
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – The Manchester men’s basketball team concluded the 2018-19 basketball season at Rose-Hulman on Saturday afternoon. The Spartans dropped its season finale in a hard-fought battle to the Fightin’ Engineers by a final score of 68-59.
The Spartans and Engineers battled closely in the first half of Saturday’s contest. A jumper by Adrian Johnson (Indianapolis, Ind. / Fall Creek) from the left wing at the 11:57 mark tied the game at 12. Rose-Hulman answered with four straight points that forced a Manchester timeout. Later in the half, Cornell Hampton (Griffith, Ind. / Griffith) knocked down a corner triple that tied the game at 27. In the final minute of the opening period, Johnson scored a pair of baskets and gave the Spartans a 35-34 lead at the intermission. Johnson scored 16 of his team-high 27 points in the first 20 minutes.
The second half proved to be a grind for both teams as the Spartans and Engineers combined for just a total of 29 points over a 15-minute span. Manchester’s defense forced several key Engineer turnovers and took a two-point lead following a fast-break layup by Adrian Johnson at the 11:41 mark. MU maintained its two-point advantage until the 6:00 mark when RHIT converted a three-point play to take a one-point lead.
The Spartans got within a basket with under two minutes to play, but the host Engineers scored eight straight points to extend their advantage.
Both teams made 24 field goals and shot 41 percent on Saturday afternoon. Rose-Hulman made 15-of-21 free throw attempts, while the Spartans converted 8-of-12 of its foul shot attempts. RHIT also made five three-pointers on Saturday to Manchester’s three.
Playing in his final game for the Black and Gold, Adrian Johnson scored 27 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and dished out three assists. In a show of good sportsmanship, Johnson received a standing ovation from the Rose-Hulman crowd as he was subbed off with five seconds left in the game. Adrian finished as the school’s fourth leading scorer, ending his career with 1,854 points.
Manchester ended the season with a record of 9-16, 6-12 HCAC. Rose-Hulman ended the regular season with marks of 17-8, 13-5 HCAC. The Fightin’ Engineers will advance to next week’s HCAC Tournament.
