MEN’S BASKETBALL

It was a tale of two halves for the HU men’s basketball team Saturday afternoon at Platt Arena. After jumping out to a 50-33 halftime lead, the Foresters were outscored by 30 in the final 20 minutes to suffer a 100-87 loss to IU Northwest (10-4).

Platt’s crew shot nearly 56 percent from the field in the opening period which included going 8-for-10 in the final six minutes of the half to swell their lead from three points to 17 by the break. Seven different Foresters scored at least four points in the frame with Caleb Middlesworth, Tyler Arens and Konner Platt each dropping in nine.

While Huntington cooled off a bit to start the second half, they still maintained their double-digit cushion through the first eight minutes before the wheels fell off. Up 66-55 with 11:38 to go, HU managed just four points over the next six minutes while their visitors erupted for 25 behind the guard duo of Chris Dixon-Williams and Rashad Richardson who accounted for all but six of those points.

The 21-point swing made for an 80-70 RedHawk lead with just over six minutes to go. HU rallied back to pull within three, 86-83, on Konner Platt’s bomb from the top of the key with 2:41 remaining. But Richardson and Dixon-Williams went right back at it to put the finishing touches on the epic come-from-behind win by combining to score 14 of the game’s final 18 points to seal the deal.

To add insult to injury, Arens, HU’s leading scorer, played less than five minutes in the second half due to foul trouble. The 6-8 big man was whistled with his fifth foul with just over six minutes to go.

Owens finished with 23 points and five assists to lead HU offensively. Platt posted 17 points and five assists while Middlesworth added 14 points and pulled down a game-best eight rebounds. Peyton West came off the bench to toss in 11 points.

Dixon-Williams tallied 25 second half points on his way to scoring a game-high 32 points to go along with six rebounds and three assists. Richardson scored all 26 of his points in the last 20 minutes. Armon Williams rounded out the RedHawks’ double digit scoring with 16.

The Foresters (9-5) have two more home games before Christmas. They host IU East on Tuesday at 7 p.m. and then Ohio University Chillicothe on Thursday at noon.