Skyhawks Late Three Lifts Men's Basketball Over Dalton State
DALTON, Ga. – The Point University men's basketball team drains a late three with seconds left to win 73-72 over #10 Dalton State this afternoon on the road in Southern State Athletic Conference action. The Skyhawks are now 4-2 and 1-1 in the conference, while the Roadrunners are now 6-2 and 2-2 in the SSAC.
Point took an early 4-3 lead to open the game in the first 2:09, and then pushed the lead to 9-4 before Dalton State hit a jumper to cut the lead to three. Following a set of substitutions, Point's Tanner Higgins missed his first three-pointer attempt, but connected on his second when Deion Subaran grabbed the offensive board to make it a 12-6. The Roadrunners used an 8-2 run to tie the game at 14 with 14:13 to go. The game stayed tied until 12:33 when Dalton State hit 1 of 2 free throws to go up 15-14. After both teams went scoreless for a minute and a half, Subaran put the Skyhawks back in front with a jumper to make it 16-15 with 11:03 remaining. Both teams again ended up tied, but this time at 18 and then again at 20. Trailing 21-20, Point hit a pair of foul shots to take a 22-21 lead. With 4:19 left in the half, the Skyhawks used a 10-9 run to close out the half and take a 41-37 lead into the locker room.
The Skyhawks added to their lead to start the second half by hitting back-to-back foul shots to go up 43-37, and then pushed the lead to 45-42 with 17:11 on the clock. Point was able to hold on to a small lead until Dalton State tied things at 48 with just over 15 minutes to go. The Roadrunners broke the tie on a foul shot to go up 49-48, but it was not enough as both teams ended up tied at 53 with over 13 minutes to go. Each team traded baskets and the lead for the next two minutes, with Dalton State holding on to a 57-56 advantage. The Roadrunners took a 61-58 lead with 7:47 to go and then pushed their lead to 68-60, the largest of the game. Point clawed its way back to trail 72-70 with fourteen seconds left in the game. A costly turnover by Dalton State allowed Kaden Paul to come up with the steal with seven seconds to go. Paul missed his first attempt from behind the arc but connected on his second with four seconds left to give the Skyhawks a 73-72 lead and win.
Higgins and Cahlib Edwards led the Skyhawks in points with 16, while Paul and Kenton Steele each finished with 11. Paul grabbed seven boards in the process.
Brandon Kincaid finished with a double-double in points with 12 and rebounds with 11. He was 5 of 8 from the field.
Higgins finished with four of the team's nine three-pointers for the game.
Point shot 16 of 19 from the line with Steele going 9 of 10.
The Skyhawks are back in action on Tuesday, November 25, when they travel to the University of Alabama-Huntsville for an exhibition that starts at 3 p.m.