Beavers Lose on Senior Day

The Blackburn College Men's Basketball Team celebrated Senior Day on Saturday February 10 but the visiting Golden Eagles of Spalding University decided to play spoiler.  In a critical game for conference tournament implications, Spalding walked away with the 84-77 upset.  Blackburn led by as much as seven points in the second half but couldn't grow the lead further and now has two must-win games left.

The Beavers, who came into the game with a 9-1 home record couldn't get things put together.  To the Golden Eagles credit they shot 55 percent from the field on the afternoon to help  them claim the victory.

Blackburn was led in scoring by senior Reed Rusten with 14 points.  The back and forth game in the first half saw Spalding take a 40-37 lead into the halftime locker room.  The Beavers took a pair of seven-point leads in the second half put couldn't run the lead up any further.  Blackburn was out-scored 17-6 over a six minute period in the second half that determined the outcome.

Prior to the tip-off the Beavers celebrated the careers of three seniors, Reed Rusten, Jake Lochhead and Malcolm Scott but the hot shooting Golden Eagles put a damper on the celebration. Blackburn now must win their last two games, home on Wednesday against Webster and then away at Westminster to have any hopes of playing in the post-season.  Blackburn is now 12-11 and needs one win to claim a winning season.  The three seniors will play their final contest in the Dawes Gymnasium at 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday