Box Score Maryville College's Spencer Shoffner joined the 1,000-point club for the Scots on Saturday afternoon, as the senior guard led the MC to a 103-94 come-from-behind victory over Aurora College.
Shoffner – a senior from Oak Ridge, Tenn. – tallied 21 points to lead Maryville to the victory. This sharp-shooting forward becomes the 32nd MC player to cross the 1,000-point mark in their career, as he currently sits as No. 31 on the list with 1,014 points.
"It's a big achievement," Shoffner said. "This has always been one of my goals as a player. Ever since I started, I've heard and seen other teammates get to 1,000 points. It's a huge honor. I'm truly grateful to be a part of the club."
Shoffner came into the contest needing only seven points to reach 'The Club.' He crossed that mark with 16:20 left in the second half, finding one of his specialties. Shoffner knocked down the trey off the assist from Jay Bowyer to give Maryville a 51-43 lead.
The Scots used a 57.4 percent effort from the floor, while five different players crossed the double-digit scoring plateau.
The 103-94 victory marks Maryville's fourth 100-point game in five games, as the Scots now average 90.5 points per game with an 8-2 record on the season.
"We're clicking," Shoffner said. "We're clicking really well right now. We've got good chemistry, like I've said in the past, and we know everybody's strengths and weaknesses on our team. We know where they're going to be and what shot they want. We're finding the right people. We know who's hot and who's not. We just keep feeding them. It's just the game plan – it's as simple as that."
Maryville trailed by as much as 11 halfway through the second half, as numerous Scots found themselves in foul trouble.
However, MC found their pace, shooting an astonishing 67.9 percent (19-of-28) from the field and 6-of-10 (60 percent) from behind the arc. The surge pushed the game closer, as it saw four ties and 11 lead changes throughout the final half.
With less than a minute left, the Scots led only 95-91, but late free throws pushed them past the 100-point mark.
Shoffner led the Scots with his 21 points, as he posted a 7-of-12 effort from the floor. He shot 2-of-3 from the 3-point line, while sinking 5-of-8 free throws. The senior also had four rebounds and four assists in 27 minutes of action.
Bowyer also had a big night, posting 19 points, seven assists, six rebounds and three steals. Freshman guard Joshua Brooks had 16 points, shooting 10-of-12 at the charity stripe. Colt Nokes also tallied 16 points to go along with eight rebounds in just 16 minutes of action.
Tyler Spicer added 10 points to go with a team-leading nine rebounds. Dante Hoppa had eight points, Emier Bowman, seven, and Emanuelle Garcia three. Blake Bowman added two points, while Logan Brewer had one.
For the Spartans (6-3), it was Kalmon Stokes that led the way for five double-digit scorers. Stokes had a double-double effort of 22 points and 10 rebounds.
Tyler Hall, Quincy Jackson and Nick Kladis each had 14 points for Aurora, while Hall added a game-high eight assists. Jovon Griffin had 11 points for the Spartans that shot 41.2 percent (28-of-68) from the floor in the contest.
Maryville moves to 8-2 on the season, as they look to the second round of the Rhodes College Tournament tomorrow. Maryville will play the winner of Rhodes College and McMurray College. A time has yet to be announced.
