ADRIAN, Mich. -- The Siena Heights men's basketball team made 21 free throws as the Saints battled back from a 10-point first-quarter deficit to beat crosstown rival Adrian College 73-69 on Tuesday night inside the SHU Fieldhouse. The Saints (2-7) finished the game shooting 47.2% from the floor in the winning effort.
Curtis Bell III scored a career-high 30 points in the victory. Bell III also added 11 rebounds to complete his second double-double of the year. Kiewuan Graham tallied 12 points to help propel SHU past the Bulldogs. The Saints scored 16 fastbreak points and the bench outscored Adrian's 29-16.
Bell III dominated in the first half as he netted 18 of his 30 points in the opening 20 minutes of the game. He hit the game's opening bucket--a bomb from beyond the arc that gave SHU a 3-0 lead early. Adrian responded with a 5-0 run to capture the lead before the teams traded scores up to a tie at nine all. From there, the score remained close as Adrian held a 15-14 edge with 12:05 left on the clock. James Clay made a layup that ignited a 9-0 run for Adrian and the lead was extended to 24-14 with 9:14 remaining in the first. Eight straight points by the Saints cut the deficit to two points, 24-22, with just under five minutes until the half. Bell III ended the first half with a layup that brought Siena within four points of the opponent as the teams went into the intermission with the score of 34-30, Adrian.
Free throws were the story in the second half as the Saints battled back with 19 made shots from the stripe. Trailing the Bulldogs 61-56, Graham made a jumper to cut the lead to three and began an 8-0 run that put the Saints up for good, 64-61 with just 2:20 left to play in regulation. Elijah Kimmons hit a jumper to push the SHU advantage to 66-62 with 1:45 left. A layup by Adrian put the scoring margin at two, but the clock was against the Bulldogs and they were forced to foul to preserve time. SHU went 2-5 from the line and Adrian drilled a three-point jumper to come within a point of the home team with 10 ticks on the clock. Elijah Sterling secured the lead as he made three of his four free-throw attempts. Bell III sealed the win with two free throws in the final five seconds as the Saints held the milk jug aloft at center court.
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The Saints host Huntington (Ind.) this Saturday, November 27 at noon.
