Rhema Wins Nail-Biter 80-78

In a game that saw 12 lead changes and seven ties, the Rhema Eagles earned a hard-fought victory by defeating the Hesston College Larks 80-78 Friday night at the Ninowski Recreation Center. With the win, Rhema improved its record to 5-13 for the year.

For the first 12 minutes of the contest, neither team was able to build more than a five-point advantage. Hesston was able to build an 11-point advantage with 4:50 remaining in the opening half, utilizing a 16-4 run over a four-minute time span. Rhema was able to cut the halftime deficit to four by finishing the half on a 10-3 run, capped off by a three-point play by sophomore forward Parris Hoskins.

In the closing half, the teams traded the lead many times, and were tied five times in the final four minutes. In the closing seconds with the score knotted at 78, Rhema’s Caylan Andre missed a shot in the paint, but teammate Josh White grabbed one of his game-high 13 rebounds and scored to give the Eagles a two-point victory.

Freshman guard Kasey Byrd led the Eagles with a team-high 24 points, while Hoskins finished with 16 and six rebounds. White and Andre each grabbed their second double-double of the year. White finished with 15 points to go along with his 13 rebounds, while Andre had 10 points and 11 rebounds.