BALDWIN CITY, Kan. – The Central Methodist University men's basketball program used a big first half to top Baker University in a road contest on Saturday afternoon.
The Eagles opened the game with an explosive 19-4 run, buoyed by a trio of long-range shots from Christian Soderholm (SR/Peru, Ill.), in the first six minutes of play. The squad continued to perform efficiently on both ends of the floor, closing out the half with a 14 point advantage at the intermission.
Baker attempted a comeback run in the second half, stringing together a 16-3 skid to tie the contest with two minutes remaining in regulation. CMU was able to close out the win from the charity stripe as Soderholm, Kyle McDermed (JR/Frankfort, Ill.), and Josh Robinson (SR/Normal, Ill.) went 6-for-6 from the line down the stretch.
Soderholm secured his fifth double-double of the season and led all scorers on the night after a 22 point, 10 rebound performance.
INSIDE THE BOX:
- Teams were nearly even from the floor, as Central shot 47% and Baker shot 49%. The biggest difference came from the charity stripe where the Eagles finished 17-for-20 on the night.
- CMU narrowly won the rebounding battle, finishing +1 in the column.
- Baker's bench nearly kept them in the game, as they produced 25 points off the sideline compared to CMU's 10.
- The Eagles defense posted a season-high of nine blocks on the night.
NOTABLE PERFORMERS:
- James Byrd II (SR/Kansas City, Mo.) – 14 points, 4 assists
- Rijnard Hartman (JR/Magaliesburg, South Africa) – 14 points, 6 blocks
- Kyle McDermed – 10 points, 6 rebounds
- Josh Robinson – 9 points, 3 assists
- Isaiah Burton (SO/Kansas City, Mo.) – 7 points, 6 steals
UP NEXT:
The Eagles will be back in action on Wednesday, January 22nd, to host Clarke University. Game time is set for 7:30 PM in Puckett Field House.
