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| Justin Taylor |
RENSSELAER, Ind. – The Miners’ conference opener Thursday night didn’t go as well as they had hoped, as Saint Joseph’s answered a second half run by UMR with one of its own and came away with a 70-61 victory.
UMR played on even terms with the Pumas throughout much of the first half, erasing an early eight-point deficit and drawing even at 26 with 3:20 to go in the half on a pair of free throws by Justin Taylor.
However, a late 9-2 run by the Pumas allowed the hosts to take a seven-point lead of 35-28 to the locker room.
Saint Joseph’s built the lead into double figures in the first 90 seconds of the second half on a basket by Andrew Helmer, while the Miners didn’t make a field goal in the first 3:30 after the break. The Miners answered with a 12-0 run, capped by a free throw by Taylor after a technical foul was assessed to the Puma bench with 11:59 to play.
Ronald Coleman’s three-point basket with 11 minutes to go halted the run, then the Pumas got their lead back to 11 at the 8:37 mark on a three-point play by Devin Thomas.
Back-to-back baskets by Taylor allowed the Miners to get back to within seven at 54-47 with 6:40 to go, but that would end up being as close as UMR would get down the stretch. Saint Joseph’s pushed its lead back out to 14 with under five minutes to go.
Taylor, who hit a three-pointer with 18 seconds to go to get the Miners within nine one last time, led all scorers in the game with 27 points to tie his career high. The Pumas (2-2, 1-0 GLVC), meanwhile, had five players in double figures in the contest with Coleman leading the way with 16.
UMR (2-3, 0-1 GLVC) will play at Indianapolis Saturday in a 2 p.m. game at Nicoson Hall. The Greyhounds remained undefeated on the season (5-0, 1-0 GLVC) with a 69-52 victory Thursday over Missouri-St. Louis.
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