Clutch Free-Throw Shooting Leads Rhema to Victory

Free-throw shooting prevented the Rhema Eagles from holding a sizable halftime advantage, but free-throw shooting also helped Rhema seal an 80-70 victory over the Barclay Bears Tuesday night at the Ninowski Recreation Center. With two wins in their last three games, the Eagles improved their record to 4-13 for the season.

Instead of settling for jump shots each time down the court, Rhema attacked the rim against Barclay which resulted in multiple trips to the free-throw line.

In the first half, Rhema connected on only 41 percent of their free throws (7-for-17) and held an eight-point lead at 34-26. The second half was a different story as the Eagles connected on 90 percent (18-for-20) of their free-throw attempts which led to their 10-point victory.

Freshman forward Marc Gustin, a 67 percent free-throw shooter for the season, was perfect from the line, going 13-for-13 en route to 23 points. He also snatched 11 rebounds to finish with his second double-double on the year. Freshman guard Kasey Byrd finished with 18 points, while Caylan Andre notched his first double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds. Parris Hoskins chipped in 10 points, while Mike Jenkins and Josh White finished with six points each, and 13 and 10 rebounds, respectively.

The Eagles return to action Friday, January 20, when they host Hesston College at 7:00 p.m.