Patriots Second-Half Surge Spoils Eutectic Home Opener

The Eutectic men's basketball team played its home opener on Saturday afternoon, hosting the Baptist Bible College Patriots from Springfield, Mo. Despite a close first half and a career-high double double from Landon Engelage (26 points, 10 rebounds), the Patriots pushed past the Eutectics in the second half to win 103-88.

The 2022 NCCAA Division I National Champion Patriots were coming off a 92-86 victory at Missouri Baptist University on Tuesday with a record of 1-1 so far this season. The Eutectics lost their season opener on Wednesday on the road at Central Methodist University. Baptist Bible had a 4-1 advantage over the Eutectics since 2020 coming into Saturday's competition.

The Patriots challenged the Eutectics will a full press early on, which the Eutectic team managed to penetrate and use to their advantage by both driving to the basket and pulling up to drain 4-of-6 threes in the first 10 minutes. A Kyan Arrandale defensive rebound led to Brady Bowers's layup just past the 10- minute mark to give the Euts a slight edge at 24-23. But, BBC's Nick Coble quickly dropped in back-to-back layups to give the Patriots a 27-24 edge. Landon Engelage nabbed a defensive rebound to set himself up from the arc to tie the game at 29, and Bowers followed that up with a steal and a layup to regain the Eutectic lead. But, the Patriots found their own success in the paint and at the line, pulling ahead for good at 37-35 after Jacques Thomas's two made free throws with four minutes left in the half. Thomas then would drain two more free throws and two threes as BBC extended that lead to five points by halftime at 50-45.

The Eutectics went 7-for-11 from three-point territory, shooting at 52.9% for total field goals in the first half, but were 2-for-8 from the free throw line. Meanwhile, BBC was 5-for-11 from the arc, shooting at 51.4% overall, but hit 7-of-11 free throws.

The Patriots maintained the momentum into the second half, making 6-of-9 field goals in the first five minutes to pull ahead 66-55. With ten minutes left in the game, they had extended that lead to 15 (84-69) after another Coble layup. Jas Suvalija immediately followed that up with a triple off an assist by Bowers to put the Euts within 12. But, despite another five points from Suvalija, the Euts could not catch the Patriots, eventually falling 103-88.

Landon Engelage had the best game of his college career, scoring 26 points (11-for-18), nabbing 10 rebounds, and adding three steals and an assist. Jas Suvalija drained five threes to tally 23 points in the game. Brady Bowers also reached double figures with 16 points and led the Euts in assists with six. The remaining UHSP points came from Braylon Rios (6), Moctar Keita (6), Sean Paradise (6), Kyan Arrandale (2), Dwight Newsome (2), and RJ Steckler (1).

Jacques Thomas led the BBC charge with 30 points, nine rebounds, three steals, and three assists.

The Eutectics, now 0-2, will be back in action on Tuesday, Nov. 7, when they head to Marshall, Mo., to take on Missouri Valley College at 7 p.m.