BY JOHN D. HOMAN
Logan Media Services

Sophomore guard DeShawn Clay calmly sank two free throws with 1.8 seconds left on the game clock Wednesday to lead the John A. Logan College men’s basketball team to an 80-78 win over Rend Lake before a near-capacity crowd on “Carterville Night” at Logan.

“I just felt like it was practice,” Clay said of the two tosses that touched nothing but cotton. “I just wanted to knock them down like coach (Vols head coach Mark Imhoff) preaches in practice.”

Imhoff praised Clay for performing in the clutch and giving the Vols a much-needed Great Rivers Athletic Conference win.

“That was a big, big rebound that DeShawn got and two very important free throws for us,” Imhoff said. “Rend Lake played awfully hard, outrebounded us in the first half and shot the ball very well on the night. I’m just tickled to get out of here with a win.”

Clay, who had 13 points on the night, was at the line because he grabbed an offensive rebound following a missed free throw by Robert Arnold, who had tied the game at 78 all with a field goal. Clay seemed completely unfazed by the fact that Rend Lake head coach Randy House called two consecutive time outs in an attempt to freeze him and force a couple of misses.

“That didn’t bother me,” Clay said.

Two time outs after the made free throws, the Warriors inbounded the ball to TeNale Roland, whose halfcourt heave bounced harmlessly off the glass. It was one of the few shots Roland missed on the night as he finished with 29 points, including eight shots from beyond the three-point arc.

Logan led 45-34 at the half as both QuaShawn Carpenter and Anthony Shoemaker collected 13 of their 15 points over the first 20 minutes of play. Arnold, who again finished as the Vols’ high scorer with 17, added eight points in the half.

Rend Lake cut into the deficit and actually took the lead down the stretch. The Warriors led by as many as four at 78-74 with less than a minute to play before the Vols’ late-game heroics.

The Logan men improve to 2-4 in the GRAC and 9-7 overall. Rend Lake falls to 1-5 in the league and 10-7 overall.

In the women’s game, the Vols rode the shirt tail of sophomore guard Tiki Johnson, who scored a season-best 32 points in Logan’s 80-73 win over the Warriors.

Johnson drained 13-of-24 shots from a variety of different spots on the floor and canned 5-of-7 free throws. Also in double figures were Kyra Navarette with 17 and Austyn Ridings with 14.

Ridings also led Logan in rebounding with 11; assists with six; and blocked shots with four. Freshman Jasmine Jordan had eight points and 10 rebounds. Sophomore Brittany Wood chipped in seven points and Jeorgina Pena added two.

The Warriors were led by Jennifer Moeller’s 24 points. Malyra Carter followed with 14 and Patrice Hutchinson contributed 11.

Logan led 37-31 at the half.

Vols head coach Marty Hawkins was pleased to get the win.

“We held on and made some big plays tonight down the stretch,” he said. “Tiki wasn’t hitting threes, but she had a big night, no doubt about that.”

Logan improves to 2-4 in the GRAC and 6-9 overall.

The Vols return to action Saturday at home against Southwestern Illinois College. The women’s game begins at 1 p.m. with the men’s game to follow at 3.