MARIETTA, Ga. — The Life University men's basketball team won a thrilling 82-75 contest against the Seahawks from Keiser University Saturday night.
The Running Eagles trailed for the majority of Saturday night's contest but were able to rally late against the Seahawks, 82-75. Mohamed Elgohary notched a dominant double-double for the Running Eagles with 28 points and 13 rebounds in the game.
In the first half, the Running Eagles went down early as Keiser jumped out to a 16-9 lead. Life U. bounced back with a 6-0 run to keep the game close but the Seahawks would maintain a one to three-point lead until the 8:08 mark. The Running Eagles then gained a lead 23-22 before the Seahawks used a run to shoot back ahead 31-26. At the half, the Running Eagles trailed 40-30 with newcomers Joshua Ward and Mohamed Elgohary leading the attack with a combined 20 points.
Second half action saw the junior transfer from Giza, Egypt take control of the contest, as Elgohary dominated the stat sheet with 17 points and nine rebounds. To begin the half, the Running Eagles opened with a 3-ptr. from Joshua Ward, cutting into the Keiser lead 40-33.
An old-fashioned three point play from Tylan Green continued to cut into the deficit, 40-36, but a long-range dagger from the Seahawks boosted the team from South Florida back ahead by seven, 43-36.
Life University then slowly chopped on the lead throughout the second half but it wasn't until the final three minutes of play before the Running Eagles earned their first lead of the second half.
The go-ahead three point basket from Srdjan Popovich forced a full timeout out of the Seahawks, but with just over two minutes to play and all the momentum in Life University's favor, the Running Eagles capitalized by forcing a turnover before Ben Underwood fired the final blow with a devastating three point bomb from the corner, 77-71.
Keiser responded with a jumper but stellar free throw shooting iced the game as Life University turned the single second-half lead change into a seven-point win.
STANDOUT PERFORMANCES:
— Junior Mohamed Elgohary turned in a sensational performance with a dominant 28 point double-double.
— Joshua Ward continued his solid play as a Running Eagle filling up the stat sheet with 14 points, five rebounds, four steals and three blocks.
Up next, the Running Eagles will host Vorhees University in the Eagles' Nest Thursday, November 10th, at 7 pm.
