Box Score
LAS VEGAS — A new group of Rattler faces held their own against a very veteran Missouri Southern team in their season opener in the Las Vegas Classic Friday night.
But despite a strong first half that saw St. Mary's lead by six, Missouri Southern fought back to win 61-54.
The Rattlers didn't trail for long as a 3-pointer from
Christian Bower (Sr., Chandler, Ariz.) and an offensive foul from
Justin Alexander (Jr., San Antonio) tied the game at 12. The Rattlers seemed to have found their groove as they headed to halftime leading 29-23.
The Rattlers shot an impressive 48 percent to the Lions' 25 percent and led in rebounding 20-15 in the first half.
Coming back from the break though, the Lions fought back and closed the gap, turning the game around. The Rattlers worked to keep the game within reach, tying the score four times throughout the second half, but around the four-minute mark the Lions pulled away to seal the game.
The Lions outplayed the Rattlers in the final four minutes, outscoring them 13-7, and eventually winning with a final score of 61-54.
Bower (Sr., Chandler, Ariz.) scored a team-high 10 points while
Marvin Whitt (Birmingham, Ala.) and
Justin Alexander (San Antonio) chipped in eight apiece.
Marvin Binney (Toronto) led with four assists and
Joe Monroe (San Antonio) led the boards with a team-high nine rebounds.
Fred Wilson (Sr., Seattle) spoke after the game about having a completely new team and how they plan to move forward.
"We're doing everything possible," Wilson said. "Chemistry is really important. There are a lot of new faces and we're trying to get that chemistry at the highest level so we can excel. It's early in the season and there are going to be a lot of rough parts because we're still trying to figure it out."
The Rattlers will take on Rollins College Saturday at 5 p.m. in Las Vegas.
