Indiana Tech Squeaks Past Men’s Basketball, 72-68

DETROIT, Mich. — Another late season home game, another highly competitive, exciting game put forth by the Marygrove men’s basketball team. The Mustangs (2-26; 2-19 WHAC) received a season-high 24 points and 10 rebounds from Xavier Walker (Flint, Mich./Powers Catholic) and 22 points from recent 1,000-point scorer Darryll Dixon (Flint, Mich./Hamady), but ultimately fell shy of their third Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC)  win of the season as the visiting Indiana Tech Warriors (16-13; 11-10 WHAC) escaped Detroit on the right side of the 72-68 final score.

The Mustangs will seek to tie their 2012-13 conference mark of 3-19 Saturday (Feb. 22) when they host Michigan-Dearborn at 3 p.m. The game will be preceded by Senior Day 2014 ceremonies.

In the first half Wednesday, the Mustangs came out firing on all cylinders to take an 18-8 edge after the first eight minutes of play. The Warriors absorbed the initial home team burst and eventually inched back into the ball game, tying the score (22-22) with six minutes remaining in the first half.

Both teams traded baskets over the final six minutes of play before a foul was called as time ran out in the first half. Up one, 32-31, the Mustangs watched as the Warriors’ Arben Camaj knocked down a pair of charity stripe tosses to give the visitors a slim 33-32 advantage at the half.

Second half action provided a thrilling seesaw battle between the teams with the score remaining within a two-possession game until the 6:43 mark of the latter stanza. From there, the Warriors opened up a game-high 12-point lead with 2:32 remaining in the contest to put the Mustangs on the ropes.

Shades of their comeback against Lawrence Tech weeks ago, the Mustangs willed their way back to within three, 69-66, but could not get over the hump as the Warriors squeaked by to take the four-point victory.

Walker was a tough assignment all night for the Warriors as the junior forward/center shot an impressive 11-of-16 from the field, including 2-of-2 from deep, to post his Marygrove career-high 24 points. The junior corralled 10 rebounds, also a high while donning the Green & Gold, to post his first double-double of the season.

Dixon, celebrated earlier in the night for achieving 1,000 career points, followed closely with 22 points on 9-of-15 shooting, while sophomore guard Diante Taylor (Battle Creek, Mich./Central) rounded out the Mustangs’ double-digit scorers with 12 points to go along with seven rebounds.

The Warriors were led by Jeff Hoskins with 15 points. Five Warriors reached double figures on the evening.

The Mustangs’ last game of the season, Senior Day Saturday, will honor the careers of four men’s basketball student-athletes: Kenny Enoex (Warren, Mich./Fitzgerald), Eric Fowlkes (Detroit, Mich./Central), Kevaunte Moore (Romulus, Mich./Summit Academy) and DeVonte Pryor (Pontiac, Mich./West Texas A&M). A brief senior day ceremony will take place five minutes prior to the 3 p.m. game.

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