JUCO leading scorer Bobby Hunter racked up 40 points to advance the Santa Fe men’s basketball team beyond the TAAG Academy Ambassadors 85-75 Monday Night, improving the Saints to 2-2 in conference play. The game immediately became cat-and-mouse with several lead changes, ending with a tie at the half. The Saints stole an early lead in the second half and held on throughout, finishing with a double digit advantage over the Ambassadors.
Hunter led the Saints with 40 points and five steals, followed by Deonte Moore with 21 points. Takiija Knight lead the Saints with eight rebounds.
The Saints struggled from behind the arc, shooting 0 percent from the three point range in the first half, something Santa Fe head coach Chris Mowry said forced the offense inside the paint with a physicality that was able to draw fouls.
Santa Fe went 75 percent from the free throw line, making 23 of 30 the second half. Defensively, the Saints were able to contain TAAG’s quick-paced offense, while only allowing 15 free throw attempts. Mowry said that their ability to avoid committing fouls was the deciding factor.
With a tough conference schedule ahead, Mowry says his team needs to improve on both sides of the ball.
The Saints return to action on the road as they face the College of Central Florida in Ocala Saturday.