CHADRON, Neb. – January 19, 2018 – The Adams State University Grizzlies defeated the Chadron State College men's basketball team by a score of 82-70 on Friday evening, despite an 87 percent free throw shooting night for CSC. The Eagles fall to 3-15, and 1-11 in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play, while Adams moves to the positive side of .500 at 10-9, and is 8-5 in league.
 
"How can you not be proud of these guys tonight," wondered coach Houston Reed aloud after the game. "I'm proud of their effort. We were outmatched in the low post, as far as size, but we played with a lion's heart. We had some plays we gave up on the inside, but we corrected some of that. We also had some shots that, if they'd gone in, they'd have been timely and may have swung the game."
 
ASU caught fire in the second half, hitting 58.1 percent from the field and separating them from what looked in the first half to be headed to another thriller like the two teams played in Alamosa three weeks earlier.
 
The Grizzlies' junior guard Jarrett Givens, who finished as his team's second-leading scorer at 16 points, took most of those in a six-minute, 11-point spurt in the first half, which pushed ASU's early lead to 17 at 33-16 with 7:06 showing in the period.
 
The Eagles, however, showed tenacity in battling back to cut the deficit to as few as five points, and they went into halftime showing signs of a comeback, trailing 43-36.
 
Chadron State got as close as two points early in the second half, but never retook the lead after the halftime break, as the Grizzlies shooters took control and ASU's Brandon Sly, the game's leading scorer at 23 points, was relentless going to the hoop.
 
CSC was once again without key big men Michael Johnson and Adoum Mbang, while starting post player missed the game with a family emergency.
 
Nevertheless, junior Jeremy Ruffin and true freshman Walker Andrew, the two bigs available to the Eagles, fought off a rather large size disadvantage to outscore the Grizzlies' four big men 26 to 24. Adams State played four players at 6-8 or larger, with the tallest, being junior Mamadou Kamara, standing 6-11 and another, senior Mike Thomas, measuring 6-10.
 
Five Eagles scored in double digits, led by Ruffin, who double-doubled with 16 points, 11 rebounds, and Dru Kuxhausen who also scored 16.
 
CSC will host Fort Lewis, who once again leads the league standings at 11-2, on Saturday evening.
 
Score by half:
Adams State         43        39         ----82
Chadron State      36        34         ----70
               Adams State—Brandon Sly 23, Jarrett Givens 16, Troyon Butler 10, Frederick Jackson 8, Szymon Walczak 8, Ethan Caton 6, Mike Thomas 6, Trace Dimeff 3, Shane Johnson 2. Totals: 35-64 (8-22) 4-9 82 points, 40 rebounds, 14 turnovers.
               Chadron State—Dru Kuxhausen 16, Jeremy Ruffin 16, Eric Jamerman 11, Jaisean Jackson 10, Walker Andrew 10, Jordan Mills 7. Totals: 22-57 (6-19) 20-23 70 points, 28 rebounds, 13 turnovers.
               3-pointers: ASU—Givens 4, Sly 3, Dimeff 1. CSC—Jamerman 3, Kuxhausen 2, Mills 1.