Greyhounds Split at Pioneer Classic

By Chuck Livingston
The Evening Times Sports Editor
MSCC Sports Information

The MSCC Greyhounds headed to Harrison, Arkansas over the weekend to take part in the Pioneer Classic, and came away with a split in their two contests there, topping Central Methodist on Friday afternoon 104-88 before dropping a 77-64 decision to MCC-Penn Valley on Saturday in a game much closer than the score would indicate.

Against Central Methodist, MSCC dominated from the start, building a 53-25 lead at the half. The Greyhounds then continued to build the lead in the second half before CMU got hot from the three-point line and hit eight from behind the arc to climb back into the game. However, it was too little too late as the final score would be as close as the Eagles would get.

Freshmen Kaylon Tappin and Jovione Bailey led the Greyhounds with 15 points each while Tasmania Jones and Tony White finished with 14 apiece. DeShawn McGowan scored 12 points and Tyler Armstrong chipped in nine.

While the Central Methodist contest was one-sided in favor of the Greyhounds, the MCC-Penn Valley contest was back-and-forth the entire game. The Scouts led the Greyhounds 34-32 at the half, but the lead see-sawed back and forth until MSCC trailed by three points, 63-60, with 2:30 left. Penn Valley then missed a three-pointer and the Greyhounds came away with the rebound, but turnovers on the next two possessions cost MSCC, and MCC-Penn Valley took advantage, scoring on each of the turnovers, one of which was a three-pointer that gave MCC-Penn Valley a 68-60 lead with under a minute and a half to play.

"They were a solid team, but we helped them out with our own mistakes too," MSCC head basketball coach Chris Parker said.

Against MCC-Penn Valley, Tappin poured in 13 points, Culbreath and Harris each hit for eight while Jones and White had seven apiece.

Dye finished with six points, as did Smith and Bailey hit for five. McGowan and Brown hit for two apiece.

MSCC returns home tonight to host Central Baptist's junior varsity team. The contest will be men only and will tip at 6 p.m.