Men's Basketball pulls off thrilling comeback win on Senior Day

Men's Basketball pulls off thrilling comeback win on Senior Day
The Muskingum men's basketball team pulled off a thrilling comeback win against Otterbein on Senior Day, 70-69. Seniors Jarrell Marsh (posthumous), Devon Peart, Jalen Paige, Jayson Peoples, and Brandon Keyes were recognized before the game.
 
  • Records: Muskingum (8-15 overall, 4-12 OAC), Otterbein (6-17 overall, 3-13 OAC)
  • Location: New Concord, Ohio - Anne C. Steele Center

  • Prior to the game, Muskingum recognized seniors Jarrell Marsh (posthumous), Devon Peart, Jalen Paige, Jayson Peoples, and Brandon Keyes for Senior Day.
  • At halftime, Muskingum honored its newest Hall of Fame members: Douglas Smart '69 (Football), Kristina Naegele '92 (Softball), Eric Caldwell '92 (Track & Field), and Annie Rome Stamm '00 (Volleyball). 
  • With the win over Otterbein, Muskingum moved into sole possession of eighth place in the Ohio Athletic Conference. At the end of the regular season, the top eight teams advance to the OAC Tournament.
  • Senior Devon Peart led the Muskies in scoring with 20 points and pulled down five rebounds. He was also perfect at the free-throw line where he went 10-for-10.  
  • Senior Jayson Peoples cashed in 12 points, shooting 5-for-10 (50.0%) from the field.
  • Sophomore Tyler Bardall tallied 11 points and four rebounds.
  • Seniors Jalen Paige and Brandon Keyes added six points each.
  • As a team, the Muskies went 25-for-61 (41.0%) from the field and made an impressive 15-of-16 (.938) from the charity stripe.
  • Justin Carter guided Otterbein's offense with 29 points while Maurice Beavers had 15 points.
  • Otterbein made 45.0% of their shots (27-for-60), went 12-for-26 from the arc (46.2%), and ended the contest shooting 3-for-6 from the free-throw line (50.0%).
  • The Muskies, who trailed by 11 points with nine minutes to play and by five with 22 seconds on the clock, grabbed the momentum when Peart was fouled and a subsequent technical foul was issued to the Cardinals with 22 ticks left in the game. The fouls provided Peart with four free throws. Despite the pressure of the game, Peart was able to connect on all four baskets, making it a one-point contest (69-68). On the ensuing possession, Otterbein missed the front end of a one-and-one foul shot, and the rebound was collected by sophomore Mitch Clark. The Muskies took the ball down the court, and Peart drew a foul from the Cardinals. With 13 seconds on the clock, Peart returned to the foul line as silence overtook the Steele Center. The senior guard confidently knocked down both shots to send the Muskie crowd screaming to their feet. Muskingum's defense shut down the Cardinals on their final possession to secure the Senior Day victory.
  • The first half saw the Cardinals take a 40-34 lead into the break. The Cardinals benefited from a .516 (16-of-31) shooting percentage and five three-point baskets. The Muskies were paced in the opening 20 minutes by Peart with eight points and by freshman MJ Smith who added five points. 

  • Muskingum next travels to #11 Marietta on Wednesday, February 13. Game time is slated for 7:00 p.m.