The Basics
Score: Park 90, Evangel 87
Records: Evangel (9-11, 8-7), Park (10-5, 10-5)
Location: Breckon Sports Center

Box Score

PARKVILLE, Mo. – Fueled by a late 11-0 scoring run, Park erased an eight-point second-half deficit and outlasted the Evangel men's basketball team for a 90-87 Heart of America Athletic Conference victory at the Breckon Sports Center Wednesday evening.

The Pirates overcame a strong offensive performance by the Crusaders behind Cory Reeves' career-best 34-point effort. The senior guard scored 22 second-half points, including 13 in the final 7:05 of regulation to help negate a 77-69 Evangel advantage.

Evangel shot 0.533 (32-of-60) for the game, including a 24-point night by Cade Coffman. The Crusaders junior All-American went 9-of-19 from the field, as EU hit on 9-of-17 (0.529) tries from three-point range.

Trailing 62-61 with just under 11 minutes to play, EU got a pair of Manrique Alvarado free throws to kick off a 13-4 scoring spurt that handed the Crusaders their largest lead of the night. After Coffman completed a three-point play, buckets from Chris Stocks and Stephen Salvi kept the pressure on the Pirates. Coffman finished off the run with a successful jumper off a Salvi steal at the 7:19 mark.

But Reeves buried a triple on Park's ensuing possession and, following a Salvi trey, connected on a two-point try 30 seconds later to pull the Pirates to within six. Ernest Myles set off the critical 11-0 run by Park with his three-point play, and Reeves put the Pirates on top with two free throws at the 4:20 mark.

After a Quez Williamson jumper gave Park a four-point edge, the Crusaders battled back to score six straight points and reclaim the lead. Coffman knocked down a pair of charity tosses, then sank a three-pointer with 1:56 left on the clock for an 84-82 EU advantage.

Coffman answered a Pirate basket with one of his own to keep EU on top, but Reeves drilled a triple with 24 seconds left to hand Park an 87-86 lead. After a Crusader turnover and a Reeves free throw, Edriel Martinborough pulled EU to within one by going 1-of-2 at the line.

Freshman DeMarcus Hudson then coolly connected on two free-throw attempts to give the Pirates a three-point cushion, and Coffman's last-second, 30-foot attempt was just short of the mark to seal the decision for Park.

EU led by as many as seven points in the opening 20 minutes of play, led by Alvarado's 4-of-5 shooting from beyond the arc. But Reeves totaled 12 points of his own to lead a Pirate offense that hit on 5-of-8 attempts from three-point range and rallied for a 42-41 lead at the break.

The Pirates dominated the Crusaders on the glass, finishing with a 42-23 advantage in rebounding.

In addition to Coffman's performance, Alvarado and Josh Pritchett scored 14 points apiece, while Salvi finished with 10 for EU.

UP NEXT
Evangel travels to Oskaloosa, Iowa, Saturday (Jan. 30) for a 2 p.m., Heart Conference contest against nationally-ranked William Penn.

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—EvangelAthletics.com—