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CHICAGO – Senior
Quinton Pippen (Hamburg, Ark./Hamburg) nailed a deep 3-pointer with 12 seconds remaining to clinch a 79-75 victory for Chicago State men's basketball over Ohio Valley Conference member Jacksonville State on Tuesday (Nov. 12) evening. The non-conference game at the Jones Convocation Center was part of the Global Sports Invitational.
"One of the things (that) is my philosophy is if I see you make a shot or make a play in practice you can do it in the game," Chicago State head coach
Tracy Dildy said. "We've seen him (Pippen) make those shots constantly and consistently in practice. It was one of those shots we were going to live or die with."
Despite the game coming down to the final possessions, the Cougars never trailed in the contest. In fact Chicago State was all over the Gamecocks early on, taking a 10-1 lead thanks in part to back-to-back 3-pointers by Pippen. A Pippen layup, a tip-in basket by senior
Eddie Denard (Chicago, Ill./Foreman) followed by a pair of free throws by
Clarke Rosenberg (Skokie, Ill./Evanston Township) put the Cougars up 16 at 36-20 with 5:37 reaming. It all seemed to be going the Cougars' way. Then the Gamecocks got hot from beyond the arc. Two 3-pointers from Darion Rackley helped Jacksonville State cut the deficit in half to 46-38 at the break.
In the second, the Cougars had an answer every time Jacksonville State tried to take the lead. The Gamecocks finally tied the game at 65 with 9:16 remaining on a layup by Brian Williams. However Senior
Matt Ross (Dixon, Ill./Dixon) followed with a layup and then a 3-pointer to give the Cougars cushion once again. A rare five-point play at 6:40 tied the game again at 70. Williams nailed a 3-pointer and senior
Jamere Dismukes (Park Forest, Ill./Rich East) fouled D.J. Felder under the basket. The shot was good and Felder made a pair of free throws to tie the game. But Pippen came back with a baseline jumper and then a Denard tipin put the Cougars up four points again.
Jacksonville State's final points came with 2:27 remaining when a 3-pointer by Undra Mitchem made it a 76-75 Chicago State lead. The Cougars asked for time with 36 seconds left. The clock said 12 seconds when Pippen lifted up from four feet beyond the arc to sink a 3-pointer and end Jacksonville State's hopes.
All five starters finished in double figures. Ross totaled a career-high 22 points and nine rebounds while making 4-of-5 from beyond the arc. Pippen also added a career-high 20 points with six rebounds. Denard totaled 11 points. Dismukes and junior
Clarke Rosenberg (Skokie, Ill./Evanston Township) each had 10 points and six assists.
Chicago State held a 20-7 edge in fast break points and a 34-24 advantage in points in the paint.
The Cougars shot 49.1 percent (28-of-57) from the floor. Jacksonville State finished 43.6 percent (24-of-55) from the floor. The Cougars earned 15 assists while committing just 10 turnovers.
"I like how my team grew up tonight," Dildy said. "A year ago this early, the game gets tight, we lost these type of games. I saw the maturity in these young men (tonight)."
Rackley and Williams each finished with 23 points for Jacksonville State.
The Gamecocks fall to 0-3. Chicago State improves to 2-1. The Cougars continue play in the Global Sports Invitational on Friday (Nov. 15) at Bradley.
