PHILIPPI, W.V. - For the second straight season, Alderson Broaddus and Kentucky Wesleyan took the court in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Championship finals, and the script stayed the same as the Battlers captured the conference title.
The defensive effort was strong in the first five minutes as the two teams combined to shoot 3-11 from the floor in the first five minutes. Tied at 5-5 and coming out of the first media timeout the offense took control quickly. The Battlers went 3-3 over the next two minutes, including two three pointers and capped their spurt with a three point play from Thylas Perkins. The Panthers answered each bucket, but trailed 14-11 as their responses came in the paint.
AB’s run continued as it grew the lead to 14 points as G-MAC Men’s Basketball Athlete of the Year, Malcolm Tatum began a 9-0 run of his own. With seven minutes left in the half, Tatum had 16 points to just 11 for KWC as a team, giving the Battlers a 25-11 lead.
The Panthers slowly chipped away at the lead over the final six minutes, led by eight points from Marcus Fillyaw, and at the break found themselves down just four points, 27-23.
Within the first two minutes of the second half, Kentucky Wesleyan was able to tie the game at 29-29, but AB quickly regained the lead on a three-pointer from Ali Bilal. The bucket seemed to calm the offensive attack of the Battlers as they pushed their lead back out to double-digits, 44-34 with just under 10 minutes remaining.
Needing a run to give themselves a shot down the stretch, KWC utilized its fast break to cut the lead in down to one with two and a half to play. Despite the Panthers struggles from long range throughout the contest, converting on two of its 14 three point attempts, KWC clamped down on defense and allowed just two field goals over an eight minute span, closing to 48-47.
The game remained at 48-47 through the final two minutes and with under 20 seconds a turnover by KWC under its own basket gave AB the ball and an opportunity to extend the lead from the free throw line. Now leading by three points, KWC had two seconds to run a play and send the game to overtime, but couldn’t covert as the ball rattled, securing the championships for Alderson Broaddus.
Fillyaw led the way for the Panthers with 13 points, while Langford scored 12 and had 11 rebounds. Tre Boutilier joined the pair in double-figures with 11 on 5-6 shooting, plus added five boards.
For the Battlers, Tatum ended with 21 points on 7-11 shooting. Bilal scored 13, while the rebounding was balanced throughout the team as five players had either four or five rebounds each.
KWC finishes the season 22-8 overall (10-4 in conference), while Alderson Broaddus closes out the year at 22-7 (11-3 in conference).