Kentucky Wesleyan’s Logan McIntire poured in a game-best 30 points, and the Panthers closed the contest on a 27-4 run to capture an 86-76 comeback win over visiting King College on Saturday at the Sportscenter.
McIntire connected on 13-of-17 shots from the floor, including 4-of-7 from 3-point range, and grabbed seven rebounds to lead five Panthers in double figures.
Eddy Jones Jr. and Kennedy Miles produced 14 points apiece, with Miles dishing eight assists, Quentin Toles added 12 points with five boards, and Alex Gray recorded 10 points, 11 rebounds and five assists off the bench as KWC (4-2) erased a 13-point deficit with 7:45 left to play.
Wesleyan coach Drew Cooper credited the late comeback to his team’s defense, which allowed only one field goal during that stretch.
“We just reeled some stops off,” said Cooper, whose squad won its fourth straight game. “They really took our spirit, they really did. Right out of the gate, they made plays and they were such an unforgiving team to play. But, in the back of your mind, you feel like if we can just get some stops, whether it’s them missing or remarkable defensive possessions — and it was probably a balance of that — then you got to give them something to think about.
“If we can get it to a three-possession game, two-possession game, now they’re thinking a little bit, and now the crowd’s into it a little bit, and that’s exactly what happened.”
Neither team found much separation in the first half until Miles knocked down a 3-pointer for a 28-23 lead with 9:01 left, but King (2-5) answered right back. The Monarchs used a 10-2 run to build a seven-point advantage on Cam George’s 3-pointer with 2:19 left in the half before consecutive buckets by McIntire trimmed KWC’s deficit to 44-41 at intermission.
Another 3 from George sparked a 10-2 run by King, which went up 58-50 less than six minutes into the second half.
After KWC cut its deficit to five points on two occasions, Mikhail Pocknett scored six points in an 8-0 run that left King with a 72-59 advantage with 7:45 left to play.
After that, though, it was all Panthers — sparked by Gray’s six rebounds (three offensive boards leading to five second-chance points), two assists and 8-for-8 performance at the free-throw line.
“At the end of the day, if we’re going to win the basketball game, it’s going to be in part because of those types of momentum-shifting opportunities with offensive rebounds,” Cooper said. “And he did, man, he went in and got those, and they really helped.”
The shorthanded Panthers, with a lineup of only seven players, shot 49.2% from the field, including 10-of-28 from long range (35.7%), and made 16-of-23 free throws (69.6%) with five turnovers leading to seven King points.
Pocknett scored 23 points with seven assists and five boards for King, while George added 18 points on 5-of-8 shooting from deep, and Xavier Betancourt chipped in 10 points. The Monarchs shot 50% from the floor, 11-of-26 from distance (42.3%), and converted 7-of-12 foul shots (58.3%) with 12 turnovers leading to 18 Panthers points.
“It’s different when the momentum and the confidence and everything’s on your side,” Cooper said. “And for so much of that game, we were just playing a very confident group, and we would do something good, and then, pow. So, credit to our guys for just hanging in there.”
Wesleyan will return to action when the Panthers host Lake Erie in their conference opener on Dec. 3 in a rare 2:15 p.m. weekday tipoff.
KING44 32 — 76
KENTUCKY WESLEYAN41 45 — 86
King (76) — Pocknett 23, George 18, Betancourt 10, Cullen 8, Mijatovic 7, Gory 6, Easterly 2, Owens 2.
Kentucky Wesleyan (86) — McIntire 30, Jones 14, Miles 14, Toles 12, Gray 10, Huyuk 6.
