WICHITA, Kan. (SCWarriors.com) – Sterling College came out swinging Wednesday night at Friends University and despite a seven-point lead at halftime, found themselves at the bottom of an 86-79 loss.
The first half was a back-and-forth battle with seven lead changes and five ties throughout the first 15 minutes of play. Sterling was able to get a some breathing room as outscoring Friends 14-7 to end the half and take a 45-38 lead.
However, the Warriors came out cold as the Falcons went on a 11-0 run to start the second half. A pair of free throws from Elias Ngoga and a timely jumper from Julian Smith took the lid of the basket.
Nevertheless, Sterling struggled from the three-point line, shooting only 20% from beyond the arc in the second half allowing Friends to pull away, leading by as much as 10 in the final frame.
The Warriors continued to battle and a three pointer from Ngoga brought Sterling within three with just under a minute to play. However, Sterling ran out of steam as Friends went six of six from the charity stripe to keep the game just out of reach for the Warriors.
Despite the loss, five Warriors scored in double figures with Mooch Austin and Smith leading Sterling with 20 and 17 points, respectively. The pair also led the team with five rebounds and two steals each.
Jayden Garrison also contributed five rebounds and led the team with five assists throughout the contest while chipping in 12 points. Ngoga also grabbed five rebounds, led the team with two blocks, and added 14 points to the mix.
Damond Daniels was the fifth Warrior in double figures with 13 points.
The Warriors (4-5, 9-6) will be back in action Saturday, Jan. 11 as they take on York University (1-8, 4-10) in the Gleason Center at 3 p.m.
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.
