MCPHERSON, Kan. — Sterling College (2-0) defeated Hesston College (1-1) 89-57 on Saturday. A 10-0 run in the second half moved Sterling from a 70-50 score with 6:31 remaining to 80-50 with 3:45 left.
Sterling created separation late in the first half, using an 8-0 run from 3:54 to 2:55 to move from a 29-25 lead to a 37-25 advantage behind Joseph Oparaeke‘s inside basket and free throw, Julian Smith‘s basket and Smith’s 3-pointer off an assist from Jacob Babino. Earlier, Sterling answered Hesston’s opening basket with three 3-pointers in a little more than two minutes, as Smith hit twice around a Gideon Holt 3-pointer to put Sterling up 9-4. After Hesston later moved in front, Khadir Muhammad‘s paint basket gave Sterling a 14-13 lead at 11:38, and Camden Carr‘s 3-pointer off Xavier Alexander‘s assist tied the first half at 17-17 after Hesston had gone up by three. Sterling shot 17 of 34 with six 3-pointers, outrebounded Hesston 22-14 and scored 10 points off turnovers while getting 16 points from its bench. Isaiah Green scored at 1:00 and again with 4 seconds left, sending Sterling into halftime ahead 43-29.
In the second half, Sterling controlled the action, outscoring Hesston 46-28 in the half and finishing off an 89-57 win. Earlier, Green opened Sterling’s scoring with two baskets in the first minute, including a second-chance finish, before Sterling pushed ahead with a perimeter burst as Babino, Julian Smith and Xavier Alexander each made a 3-pointer between 15:07 and 11:50 to move the score from 52-33 to 65-39. Hesston got back-to-back baskets to make it 70-50, but Sterling answered with 10 straight points from 6:31 to 3:45, including 3-pointers from Holt and Alexander and four free throws from Tiago Moussa. Sterling finished the half with a 25-13 rebounding advantage, 10 second-chance points and 26 bench points, then added late baskets from Isaac Briar, Moussa, Garrett Owen and Nicholas Jones to close out the final margin.
Smith scored 20 points with four 3-pointers, six rebounds and three assists. Green recorded 10 points and 10 rebounds while adding a block and a steal. Khadir Muhammad finished with nine points and three assists. Babino added nine points, three rebounds and two steals.
Up next, Sterling basketball team hosts Barclay on Tuesday, Nov. 3, at 7 p.m. at Gleason Center in Sterling, Kansas.
Be sure to check for news and updates on Sterling Warrior Athletics on Facebook (/SCWarriors), Twitter (@SterlingCSports), and Instagram (sterlingcsports), as well as the hashtag #SwordsUp. Watch the Warriors’ live home events on the Sterling College Sports Network.
