Rhema Put Up Strong Showing Despite Record

The Rhema Eagles traveled to Belleville, Illinois, to compete in the Martin Luther King Classic, and despite leaving with a losing record, they had an opportunity to win each contest.

Game 1—Lindenwood-Belleville 92, Rhema Bible 83

Despite falling behind 8-0 early, the Rhema Eagles battled back to hold a 42-41 halftime advantage over the Lindenwood-Belleville Lynx. Rhema couldn’t hold the lead, and was outscored 51-41 in the second half to account for the 10-point loss.

The Eagles (2-12) were outscored from the free-throw line 26-11, but the Lynx shot 22 more free throws than Rhema (36-14). For the game, Rhema made 11-of-14 from the charity stripe (79 percent), while Lindenwood-Belleville made 26-of-36 (72 percent).

Rhema had five players score in double figures, led by freshman forward Marc Gustin who finished with 16 points on 50 percent shooting (5-for-10) from the floor. Freshman guard Rico Hereford finished with 14 points, connecting on 4-of-7 shots (57 percent) from behind the arc, and dished out three assists. Kasey Byrd, Brody Christian, and Mike Jenkins each contributed 12 points.

Game 2—Rhema Bible 80, Indiana Northwest 77

The Rhema Eagles snapped a nine-game losing streak after defeating the Indiana Northwest Redhawks 80-77 in their second game of the MLK Classic Friday night. With the win, Rhema improved its record to 3-12 for the year.

Rhema held a 38-36 halftime advantage and outscored the Redhawks 42-41 in the second half to account for the three-point victory. In a tight contest throughout, Rhema was outrebounded by two (46-44) and turned the ball over twice as much as INU (22-10), but the Eagles shot better from the floor (44 percent to 37 percent) and from long distance (46 percent to 32 percent).

Rhema’s freshman led the way as freshman forward Marc Gustin led the Eagles with a game-high 20 points and eight rebounds. Freshman guard Rico Hereford finished with 15 points and a season-high five assists. Freshman guard Brody Christian had 12 points and a season-high six rebounds, while freshman shooting guard Kasey Byrd finished with 11 points and four rebounds. Freshman forward Mike Jenkins finished with nine points and six boards off the bench, and sophomore center Josh White corralled a season-high 12 rebounds.

Game 3—Robert Morris-Springfield 89, Rhema Bible 79

The Rhema Eagles battled hard against Robert Morris-Springfield Saturday in the MLK Classic but lost 89-79. The loss drops Rhema to 3-13 for the year.

The stat sheet between Rhema and RMU was relatively even in most categories. Each team grabbed 43 rebounds, while Rhema dished out more assists (16-11) and committed fewer turnovers (19-15). One stat wasn’t even, however, as RMU outscored Rhema 25-8 from the free-throw line. For the game, Robert Morris attempted 44 free throws to Rhema’s 17.

Despite the loss, many Rhema players had season bests in the contest. Freshman shooting guard Kasey Byrd finished with a season-high 25 points and grabbed five rebounds. Sophomore center Josh White had his best game of the season, notching his first double-double with 18 points and 13 rebounds, both season highs. Freshman forward Marc Gustin finished with 13 points and five rebounds, while freshman guard Brody Christian finished with 11 points and a season-high eight assists.