Mountaineers Fall to #23 St Thomas Celts on Final Possession

The Schreiner University Mountaineers came up just short against the #23 ranked University of St. Thomas Celts, falling 63-61 in a heart-stopping finish at the Jerabeck Activity and Athletic Center. The loss snaps Schreiner’s eight-game winning streak.

The Mountaineers stormed out of the gate behind back-to-back three-pointers from Camden Hyman and Beau Cervantes, quickly jumping to a 15–4 lead. Hyman finished the day a perfect 3-for-3 from the field (2-for-2 from behind the arc) for 9 points, while Cervantes nailed two early triples. Kamden Ross poured in a team-high 21 points, grabbing 8 rebounds. Ross helped sustain Schreiner’s offense in the first half with timely putbacks and tip-ins. Despite the strong start, St. Thomas responded with a run of their own, led by Angel Johnson and Charles Gitonga, tightening the score by halfway through the period. After a Ross triple, the Mountaineers carried a 35-30 lead into halftime.

The second half was defined by momentum swings, with neither team able to stretch the lead beyond a few possessions. St. Thomas pushed ahead behind Gitonga (17 points) and Andrew Adebo (11 points, 8 rebounds), while the Mountaineers got scoring from multiple contributors, including CJ Ward (13 points, 6 assists) and Dylan Mackey (6 points, 4 rebounds). With just under eight minutes left, Schreiner clawed back to take a 52–50 lead after a three-pointer by Ward off a Cervantes assist. Ross continued to earn trips to the free-throw line, converting  6-of-8 from the stripe on the day. But each time Schreiner seemed poised to pull away, the Celts answered right back.

In the game’s defining sequence, the score was knotted at 61–61 in the closing seconds. St. Thomas’s Angel Johnson drew a foul with just four ticks remaining on the clock. Johnson calmly sank both free throws, putting the Celts on top 63–61.

After a Schreiner timeout, Cervantes inbounded the ball and then received it back along the right sideline. His try from 3 sailed wide over a St. Thomas contest.  

The 63–61 defeat handed the Mountaineers their first loss in nine outings.

The Mountaineers will now turn their attention to preparing for the SCAC Tournament next week. They are set to take on University of Dallas, the host school, at 5pm on Friday in the first men’s quarter final.