Box Score Late 13-0 Run Seals Big Victory
Photos courtesy Garrett Gleason
MARYVILLE – Maryville reeled off the game's final 13 points as part of a closing 19-2 run that flipped the script on Birmingham-Southern in a 66-57 Scots victory.
The home side hadn't led since midway in the first half and trailed by as many as 11 early in the second. Things looked particularly dire with Birmingham-Southern holding a 55-47 advantage as the clock settled under 7½ minutes remaining.
But that's when Maryville shifted into a higher gear and chalked a key early season matchup into the win column.
Chase Ridenour scored six of his 14 points during that closing run, one of five Scots to score over the final 6:48. Ridenour said halftime adjustments were key to putting his team in position to rally.
"We switched our defense to a 1-3-1," Ridenour said. "That caused a lot of turnovers and we started pushing the ball. I ended up getting a few more looks and Myles played great the whole game, but defense was the biggest adjustment that we made.
"Turnovers were the difference."
Maryville forced the Panthers into 21 turnovers, including 12 in the decisive second half.
Second-Half Swings
Birmingham-Southern scored the first five points of the second half to stretch a 33-27 halftime lead to 38-27 for the largest margin of the afternoon. Maryville bounced right back and scored 11 in a row, capped by Kordell Kah's second-chance jump shot that made it 38-all with 15:03 to play.
Maryville couldn't get over the hump, but the Scots stayed close until BSC scored five in a row for a 53-45 advantage with 8:41 left. The teams traded hoops and that set the stage for the closing Maryville flurry.
The teams were nearly identical from the field. Maryville shot 35.4 percent to Birmingham-Southern's 35.9 – BSC attempted one fewer field goal. Maryville was just 4-of-8 from the free throw line in the first half but a sizzling 12-of-14 in the second to finish 16-of-22 for the game.
Myles Rasnick led Maryville in scoring once again, tallying another 21 on 9-of-12 shooting. JR Sanders handed out six assists and Nicholas Clifton and Felix Uadiale shared rebounding honors with seven.
Birmingham-Southern's Christian Stewart paced the Panthers with 17 points and 13 boards.
Maryville is back in action Nov. 23 at Sewanee in a 7 p.m. Central time tip.
Ridenour is loving this swing through tough nonconference opposition, a far cry from last year's USA South-only schedule during the Covid limitations.
"We have a nonconference schedule," said the junior guard, who played in just one game last season before being sidelined by injury. "Coach P has purposefully scheduled the best teams he could to help us prepare. Last year, they had to jump straight into conference play."
