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LA ROMANA, DR– Georgia Southern men’s basketball got tremendous efforts from the “Tae” contingent on its roster in a 104-76 rout of the Dominican Republic U22 National team.
“We want to play extremely hard and we want relentless effort. I think the picture of what we wanted got slightly clearer after playing a couple of games,” Bice-Peace men’s basketball head coach Charlie Henry said. “Allowing the returners and the new guys to bond was also huge.”
While three players led the way in scoring, the team got contributions up and down its roster, as all Eagles to appear in the game scored except for one. Freshman Micah Smith did not suit up due to injury.
Junior guard Adante’ Holiman was front and center for the Eagles, exploding for 24 points on a perfect 9-9 shooting, recounting a pregame conversation he had with Henry.
“Coach told me to be a sparkplug off the bench,” Holiman said. “It wasn’t all about offense either, it was also locking in defensively, and I feel like I did that today.”
Joining Holiman in double digits were Dontae Horne (19) and Avantae Parker (17). Horne, Parker and Collin Kuhl each grabbed seven boards.
Luke Keller, who remains a perfect shooter in his collegiate career, scored four points on 2-2 shooting, remarking on his experience in the Dominican Republic as a positive one.
“It was exciting to see all the different cultures and basketball at a global level,” Keller said. “I’m going to take away a lot from this week.”
It was an incredible experience for the entire squad, as Henry also will take away a lot from the trip.
“[Casa de Campo] was awesome,” he said. “It’s a beautiful place and I have had a lot of fun. To experience this with our team and administration is something that I will never forget.”
The Eagles will have a few months to gear up for their season opener against Northern Illinois on Nov. 4 at Hanner Fieldhouse.