January 24, 2009 | Box Score
Lamoni, IA-Back in action this afternoon in Lamoni and looking for their second consecutive conference win, Graceland hosted Baker University. Baker (6-13, 4-5) came in today as a middle of the pack team in the HAAC and a game the Jackets knew would be an extremely competitive one.
Much like the women's game, the Jackets let Baker jump out to a big early lead as they led by as many as 18 at 27-9. Graceland would come storming back however before halftime cutting the lead to 4 at 37-33. Early in the second half Graceland got hot and ran out to as much as a 7 point lead. Neither team would give in this back and forth battle and it remained tight until the final moments in regulation. Down 2 with just under 10 seconds to go, senior guard Jonothan Carter (Colorado Springs, CO) drove the length of the court and missed a layup looking for the tie. Emerging sophomore center Yohana Alphonse (Des Moines, IA) however got excellent position underneath the basket for the tip at the buzzer to send the game in overtime.
However, In overtime the flow of the game crawled to a dead hault as the game turned into a free throw shootout due to the numerous fouls assessed. In the end, Baker did a remarkable job converting from the charity stripe making 30-38 in the game and Jonothan Carter missed a game tying layup at the buzzer as the Jackets lost a tough one, 96-94 in OT.
The Jackets were paced tonight by Jared Stricklin's (Grain Valley, MO) second consecutive solid performance. Stricklin poured in 20 and dished out 9 assists nearly garnering a double-double. Four other Jackets were in double figures as junior Jewel Carter (Kansas City, KS) had 16, Simon Morefield (Independence, MO) and Yohana Alphonse had 15 and senior point guard Jonothan Carter ahd 13 and 7 assists.
Graceland now stands at 4-16 overall and 2-8 in the HAAC. The Jackets will face William Jewell College in Lamoni this Thursday evening at 7:30 pm. Stay tuned to the Yellowjacket website for continuing coverage of the men's basketball team and all of Jacket athletics.
For More Information on Graceland University Athletics Contact:
Matt Shelton, Sports Information Director
(641) 784-5318
mshelton@graceland.edu
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