Box Score LEXINGTON, Ky. - Transylvania's
Barrett Meyer (Frankfort, Ky.) hit three of four free throws in the final 17 seconds, allowing the Pioneers to hold off Rose-Hulman 66-63 Saturday in men's Heartland Conference basketball action at the Beck Center.
Transy improved to 5-2 on the season, 3-1 in HCAC play, while the Engineers are 6-2, and 3-1 in HCAC play. With the win, the Pioneers moved into a tie with Rose-Hulman, a game behind Hanover, in the early conference race.
Brandon Rash (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) scored 12 of his 16 points in the second half to lead Transy. He also had four assists. Tate Cox (Hindman, Ky.) tied his career record with 13 points, 11 in the first half. He was three of five from the three-point line. Ethan Spurlin (Stanford, Ky.) scored 12 points and grabbed seven rebounds in a reserve role.
Meyer had eight points, three rebounds, and two assists.
The Pioneers outscored Rose-Hulman 24-6 to begin the game and led by as many as 23 points in the opening period before settling for a 39-21 edge at intermission.
Cox led the way with 11 points, including three of three from the three-point line. Spurlin scored eight points and grabbed five rebounds. Transy shot 57 percent from the field in the period while holding the Engineers to 28.6 percent (eight of 28).
Austin Weatherford led Rose-Hulman with seven first-half points. He finished the contest with 14 points and eight rebounds. Nate Gissentanner had 16 points and eight rebounds for the visitors.
Rose-Hulman rallied twice in the second half. A three by Blake Knotts pulled the Engineers within four, 45-41, with 11:09 to play. The Pioneers would build their lead back to 15, 63-48, on a Spurlin lay-in at the 3:16 mark before Rose came back once again.
Rose would trail by just one, 64-63, on another Knotts three with 11 seconds to play. But Meyer hit both of his free throws with five seconds left and Weatherford's three rimmed out at the buzzer.
Rose-Hulman canned 43 percent of its shots in the second half to finish at 36.2 persent while Transy was 11 of 27 (40.7 percent) in the second half and finished the game at 49.1 percent. Despite rallying, Rose-Hulman never led and the game was never tied.
After a week off for finals, the Pioneers will return to action in their Holiday Tournament, facing Millikin (Ill.) on Dec. 20 at 7:30 p.m., following the matchup between Piedmont and Westminster. Transy will play either Piedmont or Westminster in the second game on Dec. 21 at 7 p.m.
