The Mount Vernon Nazarene University men's basketball team (9-5, 1-3) fell to Florida Memorial University (7-4, 4-1), 75-70, on Wednesday, in Miami Gardens, Fla.
The Cougars battled all night against the Lions. Florida Memorial pushed a lead to as big as 13 before the Cougars cut the lead down. MVNU shot 42.1% from the field and 41.7% from behind the arc. The Cougars passed the ball well and minimized turnovers for the most part throughout the game but fell by five to the athletic Lions.
With four players in double figures, MVNU was led by Kyle Kegley, who had a double-double for the Cougars. He finished with a team-high 19 points on 6-for-12 shooting and was 7-for-9 from the line. He finished his double-double with a game-high 15 rebounds, including four offensive boards, which tied a game-high. Kegley also added a block and two assists.
Clay Hilliard had a solid night offensively, shooting 6-for-15 from the field for 17 points. Hilliard went 5-for-10 from deep for the Cougars, opening up a lot of opportunities in the paint. Hilliard pitched in with three boards and two steals as well in Wednesday's loss.
Eric McLaughlin shot well with five made shots in eight attempts. McLaughlin finished with 12 points, three assists, three rebounds and a block, completing a very solid night.
Kade Ruegsegger was the fourth and final Cougar in double digits for scoring with 11. He shot 3-for-10 from the field with five rebounds and five assists. Ruegsegger also finished with a couple of steals as well.
MVNU Coach Jared Ronai said, “I was proud of our guys tonight. They battled hard against a good, extremely athletic team. A few moments didn't go our way. Looking forward to getting back to work tonight and getting better tomorrow.”
