JACKSONVILLE, Fla.  – Behind four double-figure scorers and a defensive stop in the closing seconds, the Presbyterian Blue Hose (5-1) defeated the Northwestern State Demons (1-5), 78-75, in their final game of the First Coast Classic at the University of North Florida on Saturday afternoon.
 
Junior guard Marquis Barnett paced the Blue Hose with 18 points while dishing out three assists. Junior guard Samage Teel with a solid all-around performance with 16 points, six rebounds, and four assists. Freshman guard Kory Mincy recorded his first career double-digit scoring game with 13 points off the bench. Mincy connected on three three-point field goals in the game. Senior guard Kobe Stewart rounded out the Blue Hose double-figure scorers with 11 points while grabbing eight rebounds.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
FIRST HALF – Northwestern State scored the game's first six points. Barnett got the Blue Hose on the board with a layup. The Demons pushed their lead to 14-4 at the 14:42 mark. Behind a free throw from Stewart, a jumper from Teel, and a three from Barnett the Blue Hose scored six of the next eight points cutting Northwestern State's lead to 16-10. Northwestern State scored five straight points taking an 11-point lead. The Blue Hose scored seven of the next nine points trimming Northwestern State's lead to 23-17 after a layup from Trevon Reddish-Rhone with 8:22 on the clock. With Northwestern State leading 27-19 with six and a half minutes on the clock, PC behind five straight points from Mincy cut the Demons lead to 27-24 at the 5:24 mark. With 2:03 on the clock, the Blue Hose cut the deficit to 30-29 after a dunk from Barnett. Northwestern State scored five of the half's final seven points taking a 35-31 halftime lead.
 

SECOND HALF – Presbyterian scored six of the first nine points of the second half cutting the Demons' lead to 38-37 after a Kaleb Scott dunk with 16:56 on the clock.  The Demons scored four straight points pushing their lead to five points, 42-37. Presbyterian took the lead for good after a layup from Reddish-Rhone and seven straight points from Crosby James, which included a four-point play, giving the Blue Hose a 46-42 lead with 13:06 on the clock. The Blue Hose increased their lead to 68-53 after Stewart converted on a jump shot in the lane with 6:39 on the clock. Presbyterian maintained a double-figure lead for the next four minutes. With PC leading 74-64 with two and a half minutes left on the clock, the Demons went on an 11-2 run cutting PC's lead to 76-75 with 21 seconds on the clock. Jamahri Harvey converted on a free throw pushing the Blue Hose in front by two. With eight seconds on the clock, Jonah Pierce, who recorded three block shots in the game, made a game-saving block and grabbed the rebound sealing the win for the Blue Hose.
 
 

NOTES

• Presbyterian shot 50 percent (27-54) from the field.
• Stewart and Scott each grabbed eight rebounds.
• Presbyterian's bench behind the scoring of Mincy, Stewart, and James finished the game with a 34-10 advantage in bench points.  

 
NEXT GAME
The Blue Hose return to Templeton to play Tennessee Tech this Wednesday, November 22 at 2 p.m.