After making a comeback to force overtime, the Centre College men's basketball team fell to Transylvania University 69-68, Thursday, Dec. 9, in Alumni Gymnasium in Danville, Ky.
Junior center Reggie Magnusson scored 22 points on nine of 13 shooting to lead the Colonels. Junior forward Coy Zerhusen added 13 points and a team-high eight rebounds in the loss.
Transylvania's Matt Finke scored a game-high 26 points and grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds to go along with three assists and three steals. Bryan Howard added 12 points for the Pioneers.
Transylvania led the entire first half. The Pioneers would lead by as many as 12 points on two different occasions in the half and would take a 36-26 lead into the intermission.
The Pioneers would lead much of the second half as well, including having a 57-48 lead with 5:16 remaining in the game.
Centre, however, would then go on an 11-2 run to force overtime. Junior forward Matt Jacobson would hit a three-pointer at the 1:39 mark to pull the Colonels within two at 57-55.
Finke answered with a jumper to extend the lead to four, but a layup by Jacobson and a running jumper by Zerhusen at the 12 second mark tied the game and sent the two teams to an extra period.
Centre would take its first lead of the game with 3:18 left, when Magnusson made a layup and was fouled. The junior centre hit the free throw to give the Colonels a 64-62 lead.
Finke then hit two free throws and Howard made the Pioneer's only field goal of the overtime period when he drained a three-pointer to give the Pioneers a 67-64 lead with 2:23 left.
Two more free throws by Magnusson and a layup by freshman guard Matt Nestheide pulled Centre with in one at 69-68. After a Transylvania missed jumper, Jacobson was fouled with six seconds left, but missed both free throws.
Transylvania improves to 5-1 overall, while Centre falls to 6-2 on the year.
The Colonels will be back in action, Saturday, Dec. 11, when they host the Thomas More College Saints. The game will begin at 3 p.m. in Danville, Ky.
Newspaper Box Score Transylvania University vs Centre College 12/09/04 7:30 pm at Danville, KY At Danville, KY TRANSYLVANIA UNIVERSITY 69, CENTRE COLLEGE 68 TRANSYLVANIA UNIVERSITY (5-1) Matt Finke 8-13 9-12 26; Bryan Howard 3-4 5-7 12; Joey Searle 3-7 0-0 8; Robbie Huellemeier 2-4 1-2 6; Nate Valentine 1-2 2-4 5; Riley O'Neal 2-7 1-3 5; Marc Bain 1-4 2-2 4; Robert Pendleton 1-2 0-0 3; George Clements 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 21-44 20-30 69. CENTRE COLLEGE (6-2) Reggie Magnusson 9-13 4-4 22; Coy Zerhusen 4-13 5-6 13; John Patterson 4-5 1-6 9; Kyle Roby 2-10 4-8 9; Matt Jacobson 3-6 0-2 7; Matt Nestheide 1-6 2-2 4; Thomas Britt 2-6 0-0 4; Josh Bell 0-2 0-2 0; Adam Patterson 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 25-63 16-30 68. Transylvania University....... 36 23 10 - 69 Centre College................ 26 33 9 - 68 3-point goals-Transylvania University 7-13 (Joey Searle 2-2; Bryan Howard 1-1; Matt Finke 1-2; Robbie Huellemeier 1-2; Robert Pendleton 1-2; Nate Valentine 1-2; Marc Bain 0-1; Riley O'Neal 0-1), Centre College 2-13 (Kyle Roby 1-5; Matt Jacobson 1-2; Matt Nestheide 0-3; Thomas Britt 0-1; Josh Bell 0-1; Adam Patterson 0-1). Fouled out--Transylvania University-Joey Searle; Bryan Howard, Centre College-Coy Zerhusen. Rebounds-Transylvania University 29 (Matt Finke 11), Centre College 42 (Coy Zerhusen 8; John Patterson 8). Assists-Transylvania University 11 (Robert Pendleton 3; Matt Finke 3), Centre College 10 (Matt Jacobson 3). Total fouls-Transylvania University 24, Centre College 24. A-612