(Olathe, Kan.)- Ty Griggs buried a key 3-pointer in the final minutes and Peru State Men's Basketball held off a late charge to edge (RV) MidAmerica Nazarene 68-66 on Wednesday night in nonconference action.
Griggs finished with a game-high 18 points on 7-for-9 shooting, including 2 of 3 from beyond the arc, and his triple with about four minutes remaining pushed the Bobcats' lead to 62-56. From there, Peru State relied on timely free throws and a string of defensive stands to withstand a furious rally by the Pioneers, who trimmed the deficit to two twice in the final minute.
Peru State set the tone early. Griggs opened the scoring with a bucket less than a minute into the first quarter, and a 3-pointer from Quentin Wright gave the Bobcats a 10-8 edge at the 14:39 mark. MidAmerica Nazarene answered with several mini-runs and briefly moved in front, but Everett Stubblefield's 3-pointer with 8:50 left in the half kept Peru State within one at 20-19. The Bobcats closed the quarter strong, capped by a late basket from Aurora, Colo., native Jamel Hollins in the final seconds to send Peru State into halftime ahead 40-35.
The Pioneers, receiving votes in the national rankings, responded immediately out of the break. Malachi Bryant scored early in the second half to cut the margin to 40-37, and a 3-pointer from Landon Wagler later tied the game at 46-46 with 14:03 left. Each side traded baskets during a tightly contested stretch before the Bobcats seized control with a decisive run built on interior scoring and stops at the defensive end.
Peru State's balance and efficiency proved critical. The Bobcats shot 26-for-46 from the field and dominated the paint with 45 points inside, compared with 44 for the hosts. Peru State also showcased depth with 22 bench points, led in part by Hollins, who added 12 points on 3-for-5 shooting and went 6-for-7 at the free-throw line while pulling down five rebounds. The Bobcats shared the ball effectively as well, finishing with 15 assists on 26 made field goals.
Defensively, Peru State did just enough in the closing minutes. Bryant's driving basket with 36 seconds left brought MidAmerica Nazarene within 68-65, and his free throw with one second remaining cut the final margin to two. However, the Bobcats limited clean looks on the perimeter, blocked six shots on the night and controlled the glass 27-21, preventing the Pioneers from getting a tying possession after the final free throw.
