WILMORE, Ky. - The Vikings take their first game on the road and secure their second win of the season against the Asbury University Eagles with the final score 72-60. The Vikings asserted their will on the glass, winning the rebound battle 46-23.
As the players lined up to tip, it seemed like it would be a competitive, even matchup, as both teams averaged 65 points per game going into it. The Eagles soared, and Asbury got the tip. They created a look for themselves on the perimeter but couldn't put themselves on the board.
Nile King took it down and sent it the other way, but the Vikings couldn't break the tie, missing a three of their own.
Nile King had the first points of the contest, getting Berry on the board after
Cameron Pope found him on the fast break.
Both teams played hard as the minutes went by in the first half. Asbury looked to get into the Vikings' heads, applying pressure and making life difficult up the court. Berry made their effort apparent on the offensive glass, securing ten offensive rebounds to Asbury's one in the first half.
In a neck-and-neck game with 9 minutes to go in the first half,
Isaac Plavich was the spark Berry needed, draining a three out of a timeout to get Berry's offense into gear to create some separation on the scoreboard. With four minutes left in the half,
Canon Armstead found his way into the lane and gave Berry their largest lead of the night to that point, the score 30-20, and the Eagles needed a break. Coming out of it,
Drew Winegarden picked up where the Vikings left off, draining a three-pointer.
Asbury got themselves within single digits before the close of the half and found themselves with the last possession with 20 seconds left. Trying to make life easier for themselves in the second, they put up a deep three to try to cut the deficit to six, but it wasn't good, and the Vikings took a lead into the half, the score 36-27.
Coming into the second half, Asbury looked to turn the tide and got off to a good start, forcing the Vikings to commit a shot clock violation for their first possession. The defense translated to offense as the Eagles got themselves onto the board first, cutting the deficit to seven. Before they could close the gap too much,
Nile King got himself to the line to get Berry's offense going and put the lead back up to nine for the Vikings.
Grant Stubbs took over the spark plug role early in the second, draining two straight threes to extend the deficit on his former team.
Despite the range, Berry didn't have this one in hand yet. As they found themselves on the wrong side of a run with 10 minutes left, the Eagles got closer within striking distance, working the deficit down to just four. In response,
Drew Winegarden came alive, finding his spots on the perimeter for two threes, bringing the lead back to a comfortable margin.
But basketball is a game of runs, and once again, Asbury got themselves within two possessions with five minutes left and called for a break to shore themselves up before keeping the momentum rolling. Leaving the timeout,
Cameron Pope managed get himself to the line to stop the bleeding.
There were a lot of free throws down the stretch, but with two minutes remaining and a double-digit lead, the Vikings took their foot off the gas pedal and let the time slip by, keeping the Eagles winless and securing their second win of the season, 72-60.
The Vikings stay in Kentucky but find themselves in Lexington, where they take on the Transylvania University Pioneers tomorrow, Saturday, November 15th, at 4:00 p.m.
