Jeffers & Dunlap lead #6 Eagles over #21 SXU!
Chicago, IL - Othyus Jeffers and Terry Dunlap each posted double-doubles as the #6-ranked Robert Morris Men's Basketball team overcame an early lead and late run by the #21 Cougars of St. Xavier University (IL), winning a crucial Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference match-up 96-84 between the two nationally ranked teams on February 13, 2008, at the Joseph J. Gentile Center in Chicago, IL.
The Eagles came into the game with an unblemished 5-0 record in the CCAC while the Cougars sat just a single game behind RMC at 4-1. SXU had kept pace with a thrilling come-from-behind road win over Olivet Nazarene, overcoming a twelve-point second-half deficit for the 66-64 win. The Eagles held on for 102-98 road victory over Indiana-South Bend in their last conference outing.
The Cougars came out the gate with a snarl, taking an early 7-0 lead on a pair of scores in the paint and a three-point play from Adam Gregeriou. The Eagles finally scratched on a free throw by Terry Dunlap (Junior, Chicago, IL), but an RMC turnover led to an SXU fast break finished off by a dunk from Jon Rudnick.
The Eagles finally got the scoring spigot opened when a series of Cougar turnovers led to a 7-0 run capped by a thunderous dunk from Othyus Jeffers (Senior, Chicago, IL, pictured above at right). Mario Brandon (Junior, Chicago, IL) gave the Eagles their first lead at the 14:36 mark on a pair of free throws. RMC stepped up its defensive pressure and forced an SXU five-second violation. Dunlap used that possession to score on a drive to the bucket, but Julian Scott answered with a penetration move of his own.
Brandon scored on a nifty pass from Jason Bowdon (Junior, Chicago, IL) and grabbed the defensive rebound at the other end for a stop. Dunlap worked the open court for another drive, this time down the left side of the lane. Scott answered again with a short jumper and a score in the paint by Gregeriou paid off with the game's first tie.
RMC's John Johnson (Junior, Chicago, IL) muscled in a bucket in the lane and hit his and-one for a three-point Eagle edge. A tie ball call ended SXU's next possession and Dunlap once again got to the hoop for a score. Andre Knox (Junior, Chicago, IL) grabbed a defensive board and then was rewarded with a good look at the other end. He hit the three to push the Eagles out to a 24-16 lead with about ten minutes left in the first half.
Othyus Jeffers blew by Dan Bolger on the wing, and the Eagles followed another stop with a three from Andre White (Junior, Zion, IL). Bolger stopped the run for SXU with a score in the paint, but Jeffers answered with a dunk off an alley-oop from Knox that made it 31-19 at the 7:30 mark. White put down another three, and after Bolger scored on another power move for the Cougars, White hit his third consecutive from beyond the arc.
Nick Wirth got a three for SXU and the red-hot White answered with another. Bolger hit yet another in the lane, but the Cougar big man was then whistled for an intentional foul when he tried to wrap up Michael Simms (Junior, Chicago, IL) on a fast break.
Jason Bowdon hit consecutive threes as SXU as the Eagles defensive pressure forced SXU into turnovers. With their team falling further behind, Bolger and Wirth stepped up with scores to give the Cougars a mini-run.
With the momentum turning, RMC Head Coach Al Bruehl called a time-out to refocus his team. That seemed to work as the Eagles muscled up on the offensive boards. Simms and Jeffers got consecutive put-backs, but Bolger scored in the paint again for the Cougars
Alok Aiyar, the top three-point shooter in the CCAC, finally got a good look and put one down from beyond the arc for SXU. Jeffers couldn't hit either of a pair of free throws earned on the offensive board and SXU's Kevin Lowe could only get one of his own set at the other end. An RMC turnover ended up as a Lowe put back, but the Eagles ran the clock down for the final shot of the half. That paid off when Dunlap found Jeffers rolling down the baseline for a spectacular dunk. The Eagles went into the locker room with a 53-38 lead, outscoring the Cougars 52-27 after falling behind 9-1 in the opening minutes.
That big lead would soon not seem as safe as Eagles' fans thought it might be with the Cougars showing they could put together a comeback too.
SXU had the ball to open the second and went into the 6'4 Scott in the post for a bucket over a smaller RMC guard. Jeffers answered with a finger roll at the other end for the Eagles. From there the Eagles built a 20-point lead, but a series of ill-advised shots and unforced errors by RMC put SXU on 13-3 run fueled by a pair of threes from Aiyar.
A putback by Brandon kicked off a 6-2 mini run by the Eagles as Bowdon sandwiched lay-in around a post score by Gregeriou. When Jeffers came up with a steal and found Knox streaking to the other end, RMC had righted the ship and moved their lead back out to fourteen points at the ten-minute mark.
Jeffers then got a score of his own, rainbowing a jumper over a pair of Cougar defenders. SXU free throws and a three from Bolger cut into the lead, but Jeffers answered with another jumper from the elbow. An offensive rebound and driving score by Scott got the Cougars within eight points with just under seven minutes left in the game.
The Eagles saw their lead continue to dwindle as a turnover led to a three-point play for Bolger. Aiyar hit another three for SXU, and the Cougars trailed by a mere two points with 5:17 left.
Terry Dunlap broke down the Cougar defense on a penetration move and drew a foul on Scott. He could hit only one of his two tries from the charity stripe, but he came up with a steal at the other end to give the Eagles another chance.
With the game on the line, RMC went to their All-American candidate Othyus Jeffers. He barreled down the baseline and drew a foul on Bolger. He hit both of them to inch the lead to five with just over four minute left. Bolger returned the favor at the other end and then Dunlap broke down the Cougar defense again, this time getting to the hoop for a score to keep the lead at five.
Scott couldn't hit the first of a one-and the-bonus opportunity, then fouled Jeffers in the post. The senior from Chicago hit only one of his two but he made a big play in the lane at the other end, forcing Gregeriou into a travel to turn the ball over with 2:55 left in the game.
The Eagles then worked the ball a little too deliberately and turned it over on a shot clock violation. Dunlap grabbed a big defensive board for a stop and came up with a clutch three-pointer as the shot clock was about to expire again.
Bolger hit a pair of free throws to cut RMC's edge to seven with 1:09 remaining the game. The Cougars went into a half-court trap but the Eagles moved the ball via quick snap passes until Gregeriou fouled White. He hit the front end but not the bonus. SXU rushed up court and got off a good shot but Jeffers was able to come up with the rebound. The Cougars fouled him to stop the clock and he hit both of his tries.
Jeffers closed out the game blocking Aiyar's try for three, then found White running out for a breakaway bucket and a 96-84 final.
"St. Xavier did a good job of creating some match-up problems for us," said RMC Head Coach Al Bruehl. "They used some line-ups we hadn't seen before."
Othyus Jeffers posted his fifth double-double in six CCAC games, scoring 27 to lead all scorers and pulling down ten rebounds. He shot 11-of-15 from the field and four straight free throws in the final two minutes.
Terry Dunlap also put up double figures in both points and assists. He scored 21, hitting 3-of-5 from beyond the three-point arc. He earned ten assists, many on drive-and-dish moves that found his teammates open for good looks.
Andre White hit five three-pointers on his way to 18.
Four Cougars were in double figures, topped by Dan Bolger's 25. Julian Scott had 16 and seven assists. Alok Aiyar had 12 points--all on three-pointers, and Adam Gregeriou hit for ten.
SXU out-rebounded the Eagles 36-32, but RMC won the turnover battle, forcing the Cougars into 17 while coughing up the ball only twelve times themselves.
The win improves the Eagles' overall record to 21-2, 6-0 in the CCAC. SXU falls to 20-6, 4-2 in the conference.
The Eagles return to action on Saturday, February 16, 2008, when they make the trek down I-55 for a game in Joliet, IL, against the Fighting Saints of the University of St. Francis. Tip-off is 3:00 PM. Tom Wuestenfeld will have his pre-game about ten minutes before game time. Check robertmorris.edu/athletics for the link.