Men's Basketball Drops Florida Trip Opener to #21 Keiser

(West Palm Beach, FL) – Traveling south to play in their final games before the holiday break, the Hastings Broncos opened their Florida trip with a 82-62 loss to #21 Keiser Seahawks on Tuesday.

Keiser came out ready to play from the opening tip, scoring the first 11 points five minutes into the game with the help of two threes. Back-to-back threes by sophomore Hunter Hill and junior DaRon Hall gave Hastings some momentum, but Kaiser responded with a 6-0 run of their own to go up 17-6.

Trailing 24-14, the Broncos cut the lead in half, which would be the closest they would get the rest of the half, as Hill scored inside, then after a missed Seahawk free throw, junior Christian Pujals nailed one from behind the arc. 

Keiser went on a 10-0 run over the next four minutes to take a 34-19 lead with 3:28 remaining. Hall knocked down a couple of jumpers and sophomore Ben Boudreau hit a three in the final two and a half minutes that gave the Broncos some life offensively, though they trailed 39-26 at the half.

The Seahawks started the second half with a couple of baskets, as Hastings tried to keep the game within reach. Trailing 41-28, Boudreau scored and got fouled, trimming the lead to 10 on the free throw. Following a three by Keiser, Hill converted again down low. Keiser went on a big run from there, scoring nine unanswered points to go up 53-33 with 13:22 remaining.

Hastings went on a 8-0 run after being down 61-42. Hall made the second of two free throws, then after a Seahawk missed three, Pujals found freshman Maverick Binder for a three-pointer. Hall got a layup to go and Pujals turned a steal into free throws at the other end, bringing the deficit to 61-50 with 7:51 left.

Despite eight straight Bronco points by Boudreau in the next minute-and-a-half, including two threes, the Seahawks were able to maintain their 11-point cushion. Hastings got the lead into single digits at 71-62 with 3:29 left on a basket from Pujals, but that would be as close as the Broncos would get. Keiser closed the game on an 11-0 run in the final three minutes to win 82-62.

For the game, Keiser shot 48 percent from the field compared to the Broncos' 43 percent, though Hastings was able to make 12 threes on 41 percent. One of the big factors was in the free throw department, as the Seahawks got to the line 22 times, making 13, compared to six attempts from the Broncos. Keiser also had a great day on the boards, as they outrebounded Hastings 47-23.

Pujals had an impressive stat line with 15 points, seven assists, and five steals. Binder had 14 points off the bench, as he and Pujals combined to shoot seven of nine from three-point range. Hall also finished the game in double figures with 10 points to go along with four assists. Hall has now scored in double figures in 10 of 11 games this season.

Hastings will play their second and final game of the Florida trip at the University of Fort Lauderdale tomorrow at 6pm CST in North Miami, FL.