MORRISTOWN, TN – Nine players found the scoresheet for Walters State on Saturday against Southwest Tennessee and that was enough as the Senators held off a late charge by the Saluqis to win their third straight TCCAA game, 81-68.
With the win, Walters State improved to 6-6 on the season and 3-2 in TCCAA play.
It wasn't easy as Southwest Tennessee had the lead down to four with three minutes to go. But Jay Hickman, coming off the bench for his first action of the game, scored seven critical points late to secure the victory.
"The good news is that we finally came together a little bit, and we did a good job on some substitutions," Walters State coach Bill Carlyle said. "I thought Hickman came in late and did really well. We needed him desperately and he did a good job.
"I thought (Elijah Davis) battled tough today. He's been a little banged up, but he's a warrior. It's a great win. We needed that desperately."
Micah Simpson was the leading scorer for Walters State in the game with 18 points. Simpson scored 15 points in the second half and was 3-4 from the field, all three shots being 3-pointers, and was a perfect 6-6 from the free throw line.
Along with Simpson, Michael Houge recorded his second double-double of the season with 17 points and 14 rebounds. Elijah Davis threw in 14 points and had six assists, as well as three steals.
Other scorers for Walters State were Riley Cooper with nine, Hickman with seven, Malachi Hale with six, Destin Barker with five, Daveonne Warfield with three and Jair Horton with two.
The free throw stripe was where the Senators won the ball game as they hit 13-17 in the second half, including all of their free throws late to ice the game. The Senators also collected 35 rebounds. Along with Houge's 14, Cooper had nine boards.
It was a back-and-forth start as Barker and Davis scored early layups but Southwest quickly tied the score. The Saluqis took the lead on a 3-pointer and then went up 16-9 before Simpson hit a 3-pointer and Cooper made a jumper. Davis tied the game up with a layup and, a few minutes later, Walters State took the lead 20-19 on a Hale layup.
From there, the two teams traded the lead with Southwest growing a four-point advantage with three minutes left in the half before Houge scored four straight to tie it back up. With Southwest up a point, Walters State rallied off a quick seven points to take a 33-27 lead. Houge had five during the stretch while Horton had two.
The half ended with a bang as Southwest hit a 3-pointer, Warfield hit a 3-pointer and then the Saluqis threw in another three at the buzzer. The Senators led 36-33 at the break.
In the second half, the Senators tried to get some breathing room and got it when Simpson drilled a 3-pointer that made it 48-41 in favor of Walters State. Davis made a layup after that before Barker drilled a 3-pointer. Two Hale free throws gave Walters State a 55-45 lead with 12 minutes to go.
In the final 12 minutes, Southwest tried to make a comeback multiple times with Walters State fighting them off. The first comeback came with eight minutes left as the Saluqis made it 61-56 before Simpson drilled a 3-pointer to quiet them down.
Then, Southwest made it 64-61 with six minutes left before Davis made a jump shot and two free throws. The final comeback came with three minutes left as the lead dropped to four. But Hickman was there as he drained a 3-pointer and floater in the lane to make it 77-66. The Senators made their free throws late and held on.
Up Next:
Walters State will be back in action on Monday as they host Tusculum JV. Tip is set for 6 p.m.
Rob Harvey
Walters State Community College
Sports Information Director
Cell: (423) 779-8880
Email: sportsinfo@ws.edu
Website: www.ws.edu/athletics