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Curtis Meyer reporter
Pitt State men’s basketball hosted two games this week, starting the week off with a loss against Fort Hayes State University but rebounding with a win against University of Nebraska Kearney. Pitt State is now 7-19 overall, with two more games left, both away and against MIAA opponents.
They started the weeks action off with a game Thursday, against the Fort Hayes State Tigers, in a game that wasn’t particularly close.
The Tigers started off with the scoring, gaining the first 7 points of the game. It wasn’t until 18:11 in the first that the Gorillas registered their first points. The Gorillas seemed unable to score, and that quickly became the theme of the game.
Fort Hayes continued to build up it’s lead, going up by as much as 17 points with ten minutes left in the half. Fort Hayes kept their foot on the gas, leading 28-7 with 7:23 left, while Pitt State’s struggles continued.
The Tigers kept pouring it on for the rest of the half, with a 33-11 lead with 3:58 left. The Gorillas were able to cut the lead to 37-17 before half time, but seemed lost as the buzzer sounded.
The second half was much like the first, with the Tigers scoring early and often as the Gorillas failed to create any sort of comeback effort. Leading 45 to 20 with 16:54 left in the second half, the Tigers were firmly in the driver’s seat.
Pitt State never got closer than 21 points, with a 29-50 deficit at 11:02. The Gorillas ultimately ended up losing by 22 points, 71-49, in what was a disappointing show.
The Gorillas would end their last home game of the season on a high note, however. Hosting the Nebraska Kearney Lopers, it was a tough back and forth game. Scoring the first points of the game, the Gorillas didn’t hold onto the lead for long, as the Lopers took the lead back very quickly.
The Gorillas took control from there, going up 9-3 with 17:12 left. The Lopers fought back, making it 14 to 15 with 14:29 left. The Gorillas held them off for awhile, but the Lopers were able to steal the lead at 21-20 with a little over 11 minutes left.
Pitt State tied it seconds later, at 23 apiece. Neither team was able to claim the lead, with it being tied again at 31 points with 6:29. Pitt State built a four point lead with 4:09, but Nebraska Kearney tied it again at 40 with just 2:31. The stalemate continued into halftime, with it being tied at 44 apiece.
After going back and forth for awhile, the Lopers broke the stalemate, holding onto a 52-49 lead with 16:53 remaining. The Gorillas gained a 7 point lead just three minutes later, continuing to hold the lead for the remainder of the game.
It was within three points with 10:07 remaining, however the Gorillas rebounded, building a 73-63 lead with 8:16 left. The Gorillas continued to hold their lead for the final minutes, never letting the Lopers come south of five points.
Pitt State came up with the win, 93-85, ending the last home game with a win for the fans. Pitt State will wrap up the regular season with away games at Emporia State and Missouri Western starting on March 1.
