Antonine Squeeze Past Hoops, 77-75
In a nail-biting D1M contest at Antonine Club, Antonine escaped with a 77-75 victory over Hoops on Tuesday, December 2. Brian Halums led the charge for Antonine with a game-high 30 points and 10 rebounds. The lead changed hands 6 times before Antonine eventually pulled away for good.
Antonine took a 44-40 lead into halftime. The fourth quarter was the decisive stretch, with Hoops outscoring their opponents 23-16 to swing the momentum in their favor.
The game featured several highlight plays. B. Hulms (Antonine) threw down a powerful dunk in the second quarter, one of 4 dunks in the game. R. Ledo (Antonine) connected from beyond the arc in the fourth quarter. C. Chapman was a force on the defensive end with 10 blocks.
Brian Halums was the undeniable star of the game, finishing with 30 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists in 39 minutes of action. He shot 9-of-15 (60%) from the field, 1-of-3 (33%) from three-point range, 11-of-13 (85%) from the free-throw line. The double-double effort underlined his all-around impact on the game. Mark Khoury provided valuable support with 12 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals. Clint Chapman also chipped in with 22 points off the starting lineup.
Both teams shot similarly from the field — Antonine at 40% and Hoops at 36%. From beyond the arc, Antonine connected on 3-of-21 (14%) while Hoops managed just 9-of-25 (36%). Antonine also had the advantage at the charity stripe, converting 26 free throws to Hoops's 14.
Antonine dominated the boards 44-37, including 13 offensive rebounds that led to extra possessions. Antonine owned the paint with 38 points inside to Hoops's 28.
Down the stretch, Antonine came up clutch when it mattered most. R. Ledo nailed a clutch free throw with 00:15 remaining to help seal the victory. It was a white-knuckle finish that had both benches on their feet until the final buzzer.
Despite the result, Trazarien White showed his quality for Hoops, contributing 29 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals. However, the team struggled to find consistent scoring beyond their top options.