Men’s Basketball Wins Another

Thompson and Merriwether Key Second Half Comeback

For More Information Contact: Scott Musa 540.665.5417

FROSTBURG, Md.  – The Shenandoah University men’s basketball team improved to 4-2 on the young season Tuesday evening with a come from behind 92-81 victory over host Frostburg State .

Down 55-45 with 16:28 minutes to play, Shenandoah went on a 30-8 run over the next 11:53 to turn the 10-point deficit into a 78-63 lead with 4:28 left. From there, the Hornets held on for their fourth victory in the last five meetings with Frostburg (2-3).

After taking an early, 5-2 lead on a three-pointer by Ronald Merriwether ( Frankfurt , Germany ) and a jumper by senior Jacob Bates ( Berryville , Va. /Clarke County), SU found itself playing from behind for the rest of the first half. Frostburg went on a 13-2 run from the 18:26 mark until just before the first media timeout when junior Tyson Thompson ( Keysville , Va. /Randolph Henry) finally stopped the bleeding with a 10-foot jumper.

The Bobcats eventually extended their lead to as much as 11 points with 4:48 left in the first, but the Hornets finished with a 9-2 run of their own to cut the halftime deficit to four at 41-37. Thompson keyed this run with a pair of driving layups and a defensive rebound. He led SU in scoring with 10 points while Merriwether added eight.

Frostburg threatened to pull away at the start of the second, but Merriwether and Thompson answered the challenge by combining for 35 of the Hornets 55 second half points. Merriwether had 20 of his game high 28 in the final 20 minutes of play while Thompson had 15 of his 25 to go along with six assists and three steals.

In addition to Merriwether’s 28 and Thompson’s 25, Michael Atkins ( Winchester , Va. /Sherando) had 15 points and Fred Cooke (Wheaton, Md./Albert Einstein) 10. Atkins also had a game high 11 rebounds.

A complete box score and play by play can be found at http://www.su.edu/athletics/mb/200102/120401.htm

Shenandoah completes its fall semester home slate on Saturday afternoon with a non-league game against Southern Virginia . Game time is 4:00 .

Shenandoah University offers 16 intercollegiate sports, eight for men and eight for women. For further information, please contact the Office of Athletic Communications at 540-665-5417 or visit our web site at http://www.su.edu/athletics. For Dixie Conference Information, please visit the Dixie Conference home page: http://www.dixieconference.com.