URBANA, Ohio – Shaunn Monroe scored a career-high 29 points but it wasn't enough as Fairmont State pulled out a 73-70 victory over Urbana Saturday inside the Grimes Center.
Urbana (5-19, 4-14 MEC) held a one-point lead following a
Mario Lacy Jr. layup near the two-minute mark, but the Blue Knights went 0 for 3 from the field with a pair of turnovers the rest of the way.
It was the second time this season that Fairmont State escaped with a three-point win over Urbana. The Blue Knights have now dropped 12 games by 10 or fewer points.
Monroe scored the most points by a Blue Knight this season by going 4 of 9 from beyond the arc and 9 for 18 overall. He also recorded four steals and two blocks.
Additionally,
Tehree Horn logged 11 points and four caroms while Lacy finished with nine points and 11 boards. The duo connected on a highlight-reel play in the first half as Horn dished a perfect lob on a fastbreak for an alley-oop to Lacy, who was fouled on the successful dunk.
Overall, Urbana shot 41 percent from the field and free-throw shooting proved costly once again following a 14 for 22 (64%) effort.
Urbana led the majority of the game, including a 36-30 halftime advantage and later an eight-point lead midway through the second, but Fairmont State rode 64-percent shooting in the second stanza to complete the comeback.
The Fighting Falcons (18-5, 13-5 MEC) went 6 for 10 from three-point range and 9 of 10 at the foul line over the final 20 minutes. FSU's first lead since the nine-minute mark of the first half came with 7:43 remaining in the game.
Monroe brought the Blue Knights back with six straight points after the Falcons moved ahead 67-62. Monroe drained his fourth trey off an offensive rebound and then converted a traditional three-point play to put UU in the lead, 68-67, with three minutes left.
Then, the teams traded a pair of baskets until FSU's Cole VanHandorf put the visitors in the lead for good with under a minute to play. VanHandorf played all 40 minutes and led the Falcons with 17 points, including 11 in the second half. Shem Golek also helped guide the comeback with all 14 of his points coming in the second half.
Urbana had a final look at the buzzer, but Lacy's half-court attempt grazed off the front of the rim.
UP NEXT: Urbana will host three of the final four games of the regular season, beginning with Wednesday's matchup against West Virginia State. Tipoff against the Yellow Jackets (17-6, 12-6 MEC) is set for 7:30 p.m. at the Grimes Center.
The Blue Knights will travel to Charleston on Saturday, Feb. 22, before closing out with back-to-back home contests against Wheeling (Weds, Feb. 26) and Notre Dame College (Sat, Feb. 29).
