The Shadow
CLIFTON FORGE – It’s been a rough start to 2024 for Mountain Gateway Community College men’s basketball.
The Roadrunners opened up the new year losing five of their first seven games to fall below .500 basketball.
On Wednesday, February 7th, MGCC found themselves back to playing .500 basketball following a close 95-90 win over Southwest Virginia.
It was a big night for the former JUCO D-III player of the week, Dae Dae Bowens, who had a double-double in a winning effort for the Roadrunners.
Bowens, a 6-foot-6 guard/forward from Darlington, S.C. was third in scoring in MGCC’s win over Southwest Virginia but reeled in 22 rebounds. It was Bowens seventh time this season that he recorded 20 or more rebounds in a game.
Leading the way in scoring for Mountain Gateway was Jaden Rice who tied for a game-high 25 points with Eagles’ Corean Nelson, who was the featured athlete of the month for SVE athletics in the month of January.
The Roadrunners finished with four players total in double figures scoring. Along with the performances by Rice and Bowens, Wanquavious Butler scored 23, while Dontrell Smith added 12.
After a tightly contested first half that was separated by only five points (43-38 MGCC), the game came down to the final minutes, which were nothing short of exciting as both teams traded blows in the closing minutes to keep the game close.
With under three minutes remaining, Mountain Gateway held an 84-81 lead before Butler knocked down a jump shot from the right side of the foul line to extend the Roadrunners lead to five points.
Looking for a key defensive stop with just over two minutes remaining, Smith had his left arm extended reaching for a block, but Grant Williams drilled a huge 3-pointer from beyond the 3-point line to cut the deficit down to only two points for the Eagles at 86-84.
Williams just moments later would tie the game at 86-86 after knocking down a pair of free throws.
Following a 5-0 scoring run to tie the game, the momentum seemed to shift towards Southwest Virginia, however, Rice, who connected on six 3-pointers in the game, hit his biggest one of the night as he put MGCC back in front 89-86 with only two minutes remaining.
The Eagles, not backing down, would tie the game once again at 89-89, after Williams delivered for SVE from beyond the 3-point line for his third made 3-pointer.
Southwest Virginia had a chance to take the lead with just over a minute remaining, but following the miss, Mountain Gateway pushed down the court and on a fastbreak Butler made a driving layup to put the Roadrunners back ahead 91-89.
Free throws were critical down the stretch for SVE and MGCC as both teams struggled making free throws. With 45 seconds left, Nelson drew a foul, but only made 1-of-2 which cut the lead down to one point at 91-90.
Needing a foul, Southwest Virginia put Rice on the line, and he only knocked down 1-of-2 as Mountain Gateway extended the lead back to two points at 92-90.
With under a minute remaining and a chance to either tie or take the lead, the Eagles ended up turning the ball over as Butler stripped the ball away. SVE would eventually foul Bowens. Bowens would only make 1-of-2 and kept the Eagles in the game as they were now down only three points at 93-90.
In what turned out to be the play of the game, with 10 second left and Southwest Virginia looking to tie the game, instead of allowing Williams a chance to tie the game with a 3-pointer, Mountain Gateway fouled him instead. The Roadrunners were in the penalty and Williams would need to make his free throw attempts. Williams was already 3-for-3 at the foul line. However, Williams would miss both of his attempts.
On the second missed free throw from Williams, Bowens brought down his 22nd rebound of the game and drew the foul. After missing a chance at putting his team up four points the last time he was at the free throw line, Bowens this time around did not miss as he knocked down both of his attempts to seal the win for MGCC.
Free throw shooting proved to be costly for the Eagles. As a team they were only 1-for-4 in the final minute of the game. In the 39 minutes prior, the team had only missed two attempts (12-for-14). The Roadrunners were 12-for-20 as a team at the foul line.
Southwest Virginia 38 52 – 90
Mountain Gateway CC 43 52 – 95
SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA (90) – C. Nelson 25, G. Williams 22, K. Peoples 7, W. Looney 6, A. Pierre 6, A. Purcell 0, C. Fuller 9, J. Hall 15.
MOUNTAIN GATEWAY CC (95) – J. Rice 25, D. Bowens 17, W. Butler 23, D. Smith 12, T. Hodge 4, B. Pritchett 2, C. Davis 4, K. Byrd 8.
3-Pointers: Southwest Virginia 9 (C. Nelson 2, G. Williams 3, K. People 1, A. Pierre 2, C. Fuller 1). Mountain Gateway 9 (J. Rice 6, W. Butler 1, K. Byrd 2).
