The Outlook

In a game marred by turnovers, Urbana won the possession battle 25-18.  The Blue Knights also tallied 9 more steals than their opponents.  The contest was still a 1-point game early in the second half until an 18-8 Urbana run put some distance between the two squads.  The home team never led by less than 10 over the final 10 minutes.

Blue Knight freshman Ciara Geiger scored 14 of her game-high 20 in the second half.  Sophomore guard Jackie Cousineau added a career-high 14, and DeVonyea Johnson tallied 11 points.  Junior forward Jessica Saffold helped the Blue Knights win the battle of the boards, pulling down a game-high 14 rebounds in addition to her 9 points, 8 assists and 4 steals.

Salem entered Thursday’s contest winners of 4 of their last 10 after a 1-92 stretch dating back four seasons, but their recent success couldn’t help them turn the corner against a rejuvenated Blue Knight squad.  The Tigers drop to 3-18 on the year.  With the win, Urbana improves to 12-12, reaching .500 for the first time since their 1-1 start.  The Blue Knights are 10-4 since Marchesano took over on January 7th.  

On Saturday afternoon, Urbana hosts its home finale, welcoming the D-II Ohio Independent leaders from Cedarville to town.  Back on January 28th, the Blue Knights dealt the Yellow Jackets a 79-76 loss in Cedarville.  It remains the Yellow Jackets’ only loss of the season against a fellow D-II Ohio Independent.  Tip-off for the rematch is set for 2:00 p.m. in the Grimes Center.

Cedarville Stings Blue Knights 67-55
URBANA, Ohio (February 16, 2012) – Just 48 hours after stunning 16-win Central State at the buzzer in the Grimes Center, the Urbana University men’s basketball team fell short of back-to-back upsets.  The NCAA D-II Ohio Independent leaders from Cedarville University stopped Urbana 67-55 to improve to 17-7 overall and 8-1 against OIC opponents this season.  Urbana suffered its sixth loss in seven outings, dropping to 3-6 versus its fellow D-II Ohio Independents.

Unlike the first meeting, a 69-49 Yellow Jacket win in Cedarville, the Blue Knights kept it close wire-to-wire on Thursday night.  Urbana pulled within two points early in the second half.  A Marcus Pearl lay-up in the lane got the score to 31-29 in favor of the Yellow Jackets.  

Cedarville methodically broke down the Blue Knights over the next few minutes with balanced scoring and solid defense.  Against Central State on Tuesday, Urbana ended the game on a 19-2 run over the final 6 minutes to stun the Marauders.  In a similar situation on Thursday, Urbana was unable to overcome a 10-point deficit over the final 6 minutes as the Yellow Jackets hung on for the 12-point road win.

In the loss, Urbana was once again led by Tuesday night’s hero, Sharif Muhammad Jr.  The senior forward finished with another double-double, tallying a team-high 15 points and 11 rebounds.  Pearl also chipped in 15, and Dyrell Dolson added 11.  The Yellow Jackets were led by Zach Brown’s game-high 18.

On Saturday, Urbana travels to Salem International University for a 2:00 p.m. game.  The Tigers took down the Blue Knights 79-68 in Urbana on January 21st.