MEN’S BASKETBALL

The Forester men’s basketball team kicked off its season with a 65-63 win over Governors State University Wednesday night in the friendly confines of Platt Arena.

“I’m proud of our guys for coming together and gutting this one out,” said first-year head coach Kory Alford. “It was a hard fought win over a good  opponent. Season openers are never easy, and their zone messed with our tempo tonight.”

It was a fast and furious start for the hosts as they ripped off the game’s first 14 points in the opening four minutes. Caleb Middlesworth spearheaded the scoring frenzy by draining three triples and scoring in transition to account for all but three of his team’s points.

Despite the early double-digit disparity, the Jaguars were in it for the long haul. Extending their defense full court was the key to the visitors methodically scratching and clawing their way back in it. By the midway point of the half, GSU had sliced the lead to just two possessions at 20-15 and showed no signs of relenting.

With two minutes remaining in the period, DeAndrey Robinson scored down low to give Governors State its first lead of the evening at 28-27. But Middlesworth made sure it was short-lived with a quick bucket on the next trip down the court. The lead would toggle back and forth again just before intermission with Huntington taking a 31-30 advantage into the break.

It was a dog fight after that as both teams jockeyed for any sort of advantage. The final twenty minutes featured ten lead changes and four ties with no more than two possessions separating the two squads. With just over four minutes remaining, Gerald Duckworth scored in the paint for what proved not only his team’s final field goal of the night, but GSU’s final lead as well at 59-58.

Things fell into place for Alford and crew after that. Ben Humrichous dropped in his fourth three of the night at the 3:17 mark to put HU on top for good at 61-59. While Middlesworth and Zach Goodline scored on back-to-back possessions shortly after, it was Huntington’s defense that highlighted the final few minutes.

The Foresters forced three straight turnovers which included a pair of charges and a steal to build a six-point advantage of 65-59 with less than a minute remaining. While GSU closed out the night by going 4-for-7 from the charity stripe, HU’s lead stood the test of time.

Huntington’s stingy defense throughout the night was notable as evidenced by holding their visitors to 20 points below what they’re accustomed to. The Jaguars, who entered the contest with two wins under their belt, averaged 82.5 points through the first two games but struggled to get much going on this given night.

“I was happy with our effort tonight,” said Alford. “We met a lot of our defensive goals and I thought we did a good job on the defensive glass most of the night which was an emphasis for us this week in practice.”

Middlesworth topped all scorers with 23 points on 9-for-14 shooting which including dropping in five long balls. Humrichous tossed in 15 points in his collegiate debut to go along with five rebounds and three steals. Goodline rounded out HU’s double-digit scoring with ten points. The 6-1 floor general also dished out a game-high nine assists, ripped down a team-best seven rebounds and swiped three steals.

The trio garnered praise from Alford. “Caleb was big time tonight. He hit some huge shots for us. Ben offered great minutes in his first college start and Zach’s energy carried us late in the game.”

Robinson finished with 16 points to lead Governors State. Trenten Nadolski and Sterling Fields came off the bench to add 14 and 11 points respectively while Payton Harley chipped in ten.

Tonight not only marked Coach Alford’s first game as a head coach but his first win as well. “It feels great to get my first career win. It’s truly a blessing to be in this position. I’m excited for what the future holds.”

The Foresters (1-0) are back at it on Tuesday to host IU East at 7:00 p.m.