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Bears drop MACJC tourney heartbreaker to 17th-ranked Northeast, 67-64

By: Michael D. Gunnell, Southwest Sports Information
Damian Dear

Men's Basketball | 2/24/2020 11:21:00 PM

The game came down to the wire, but in the end the ball just would not bounce the Bears' way as they dropped a heart-breaker to the 17th-ranked Northeast Mississippi Tigers, 67-64, in the opening round of the MACJC tournament in Scooba.
 
With the loss, the Bears ended the 2019-20 season with a 14-10 overall mark. Northeast moved to 22-1 and into the tournament semi-final round against Hinds.
 
The Bears fell behind early, 6-0. A Jalon Andrews three pointer then started an 11-4 run, that ended with a Drelon Pittman free throw, that left them on top 11-10 with 13:48 left in the opening half.
 
The teams then virtually traded baskets the rest of the half before Northeast carried a 26-24 lead into the locker room at halftime.
 
A Goodnews Kpegeol trey and Damian Dear free throw helped the Bears take a 28-27 lead with 18:22 left in the second half.
 
After Northeast regained the lead, 30-28, the Bears scored 10 of the next 13 points to take their largest lead of the game, 38-33, with 13:43 still to play.
 
Northeast then scored seven straight to move back on top, 40-38, with 11:08 on the clock.
 
The Bears took what proved to be their last lead of the game, 41-40, on a Kpegeol trey with 10:47 showing. A 10-3 Northeast run later in the half gave them their largest lead of the night, 61-54, with 3:37 showing.
 
Seven straight points from the Bears deadlocked the game at 61-61 with 1:40 to go. After Northeast went up 65-61, the Bears pulled to within a point, 65-64, with 0:02 on the clock. But, a pair of Northeast free throws would seal the Bears' fate.
 
"It was rebounding and free throws," Bears head coach Bryan Bender said of the difference in the game. Northeast made 14 of 19 free throws and pulled down 45 total rebounds while the Bears hit 10 of 22 free throws and finished with 37 rebounds.
 
"Their best player (DeAnthony Tipler), the leading scorer in our league, scored his average (19) and was 12 of 14 at the free throw line," Bender continued. "He made his; we were 10 of 22 and lose the game by three."
 
Despite the loss, Bender still had high praise for his team. "I was very proud of our group from start to finish," he said. "It was a fun group to coach throughout the season. We had a lot of really good people that made it a lot more enjoyable. They really competed this last game. It's sad that it has to come to an end, but their best basketball is ahead of them."
 
Dear paced the Bears' offense with 19 points while Andrews and Kpegeol both finished with 11 points.

Tipler's 19 topped the Northeast offense.
 
 
 
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Players Mentioned

Jalon Andrews

#2 Jalon Andrews

F/C
6' 8"
Sophomore
Damian Dear

#5 Damian Dear

G
6' 0"
Sophomore
Drelon Pittman

#0 Drelon Pittman

G/F
6' 4"
Redshirt Freshman
Goodnews Kpegeol

#12 Goodnews Kpegeol

G/F
6' 6"
Redshirt Freshman

Players Mentioned

Jalon Andrews

#2 Jalon Andrews

6' 8"
Sophomore
F/C
Damian Dear

#5 Damian Dear

6' 0"
Sophomore
G
Drelon Pittman

#0 Drelon Pittman

6' 4"
Redshirt Freshman
G/F
Goodnews Kpegeol

#12 Goodnews Kpegeol

6' 6"
Redshirt Freshman
G/F