Vaysbakh and Coan Shine, As Coker Takes Down UVA Wise

HARTSVILLE, SC. - Coker used a big first half, and held off a late push from UVA Wise to take down the Cavaliers Saturday. Jonah Vaysbakh scored a career high 22, with four three pointers to help lead the way in a 105-102 thriller. With Saturday's win Coker is now in third place of the SAC standings, and has won both games over the Cavaliers on the season. 

BY THE NUMBERS:

Final: Coker 105 | UVA Wise 102

Records: Coker 13-5 (9-5) | UVA Wise 12-7 (9-6)

Location: Hartsville, SC. | Deloach Center

TOP PERFORMERS: 
Jonah Vaysbakh: 22pts, 4 3pm, 2reb

Judson Coan: 22pts, 4 3pm, 9reb, 2ast

Glenn Bynum Jr.: 14pts, 3stl, 3reb, 1ast

HOW IT HAPPENED:
Coker raced out of the gates Saturday afternoon. Glenn Bynum Jr. kicked the game off with a turnaround jump shot, followed by an Xavier Harris layup just one play later. The Cobras then forced a turnover, and Judson Coan burried a three pointer off of the Cavalier's. This forced UVA Wise into an early timeout just one minute and thirty seconds into the game. Out of the timeout, Coan drained another three pointer, and the Cobras led by 8 after Patrick Shelley got the Cavaliers on the board.

The Cobras made a line change shortly after, and Jonah Vaysbakh finished at the basket to extend Coker's lead early. From there the Cavaliers fought back and cut the lead down to 12-10. Coan checked back in, and responded right away. He drained back to back three pointers and to handily gave Coker their comfortable lead back. At the under 10 minute mark Coker was holding onto a 25-21 lead as both teams continued to go back and forth. Vaysbakh, who poured in a career high 22 on the night, returned to the game and immediately hit a corner three pointer. 

Over the course of the remainder of the half the Cobras continued their scorching hot start from behind the arc draining nine first half threes, and saw their lead grow to as many as 19 after Max Hurray drained a three pointer to give Coker a 45-26 lead. After that point, UVA Wise outscored the Cobras 8-6 to close out the half, as Coker led 52-36 at the break.

Coker was led by Coan's 18 first half points, as he was a perfect 4-4 from behind the line and 7-7 from the field in the first half. He also added six rebounds to go with his sizzling start. Jonah Vaysbakh led the second unit as he poured in 13 first half points on 5-6 shooting, and a perfect 3-3 from distance. Coker shot 48.8 percent from the field in the first frame while shooting 47.7 percent from behind the line. The Cobras assisted on 10 first half baskets, and forced the Cavaliers into 9 turnovers.

Out of the break the Cavaliers went on a run, cutting the game down to 71-58 at the first media timeout. The Cavaliers continued to shoot the ball at a scorching hot rate in the second frame as they drained 23 of their 33 field goals in the second half at a 69.7 percent rate. 

Coker continued to keep the lead throughout the second half. After the Cavaliers brought the game to within 12 with 12 minutes remaining, Logan Murray drained two free throws followed by a Vaysbakh layup to push the lead back to 16. 

With seven minutes remaining, the Cavaliers had cut the lead to seven at 86-79. Following a media timeout, it was Vaysbakh once again answering the call, scoring on a scooping layup. Following the play the Cavaliers picked up a flagarant foul, and Vaysbakh converted both free throws. Coan then dropped in a layup four seconds later and the Cobras lead had once again grown to double digits. 

The Cavaliers made the game interesting down the stretch, refusing to go away. With a minute and a half remaining on the clock, Bradley Dean drained a three pointer to cut Coker's lead down to just five at 100-95. After a Bynum Jr. layup, and a UVA Wise three pointer, Coker led by just four. After the layup, the Cobras turned the ball over and it found the hands of a Cavalier who put it up and in to cut the lead to two with 18 seconds remaining. 

Logan Murray then sank both free throws after being fouled, pushing the Coker lead back out to four. After a Coker foul, and two made free throws by the Cavaliers, it was Xavier Harris going to the line with a chance to ice the game. He made one of two free throws leaving the door open for UVA Wise with just six seconds remaining, trailing by three. They raced down the court, swinging it across the floor with just three ticks left, and it was Landon Butler intercepting the pass to shut the door on the comeback giving Coker the 105-102 victory. 

Coker shot 49.3 percent from the field on the game, while shooting 46.4 percent from behind the line. Vaysbakh, Coan, and Hurray all poured in three or more triples on the night to help Coker drain 13 as a team. The Cobras shot 20 for 22 from the line at a 90.9 percent rate, which ultimately proved to be the deciding factor.

NOTABLES:
Vaysbakh's now set career highs in minutes and points in back to back games.

Hurray continued his streak of double figure scoring, as he added 11 on the night. 

This was Coan's third 20 point game of the season. 

UP NEXT:
Coker welcomes in state SAC opponent Anderson to town Wednesday night. Tipoff is set for 7:30p.m. in the Deloach Center.