Heading into the final two games of the regular season, the MUS varsity basketball team needed wins in both to garner momentum and secure a good seed in the upcoming regional tournament. And they got those pressured wins, beating St. Benedict on Tuesday, 55-51, and Briarcrest on Thursday, 60-43.
Tuesday, MUS looked in trouble early, falling behind 20-5 to start the game as the Eagles hit some early shots.
But the Owls clamped down defensively and ended up regaining the lead by the half, 28-26.
The second half was close throughout, but MUS made free throws down the stretch and refused to allow St. Benedict to retake the lead. For the game, MUS went 17-20 from the line, while St. Benedict went only 6-13.
Elliott Cole led the Owls with 17 points, and John Stokes scored 13 points and grabbed 8 rebounds.
Two nights later, MUS not only was looking to avenge a 52-46 loss to the Saints earlier in the year, but also wanted to grab the five-seed in the postseason tournament.
However, those goals looked in trouble very early as Briarcrest jumped out to a 4-0 lead on two quick baskets. But once the Owls drew even at 4, Briarcrest never lead again.
MUS handled BCS’ pressure much better than in their previous loss as they committed only 14 turnovers.
In the second half, MUS got many easy baskets because of their patience and ability to handle pressure, and they shot 53% for the half to cruise to victory.
Jay Martin and Cole led the Owls with 17 points each as they combined to hit 7 three-point field goals.
With the wins, MUS secured the fifth seed in the regional tournament and will face SBEC at home this Saturday. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m.
Click here for complete regional-tournament coverage.