Men’s Basketball Controls Hendrix and Rhodes in Weekend Road Trip

Published: April 13, 2021

CONWAY, Ark. Greenville College mens basketball knocked off Hendrix College 79-60 and Rhodes College 86-62 to post back-to-back convincing victories in the Cliff Garrison Classic in Arkansas.

Senior guard/forward combo Markieth Brown led GC in the weekend tilts, posting a team high 17 points against Hendrix and 18 points against Rhodes. Though only playing 15 minutes against Hendrix College, Brown shot 6-10 from the floor and went 5-5 from the stripe, while adding two assists and steal. Against Rhodes, Brown netted 7-10 attempts and again shot a perfect 4-4 from the free-throw line.

GC faced Hendrix College in Fridays opener, and exploded offensively in the first four minutes of the game. The Panthers held a 12-0 lead early and never looked back, as a basket by Greenvilles junior guard Jordan Smith at 8:26 gave Greenville a 30-8 lead. Hendrix answered with a 22-6 run, led by 11 points from senior guard Chris Goodman, cutting the deficit to 36-30 with 3:27 remaining in the half. The Panthers took a 42-32 lead into the break.

In the second period, Greenville remained in control and expanded their lead to as many as 21. GC cruised to the 79-60 win at Grove Gymnasium.

Greenville shot 50.8 percent (30-of-59) from the field and 81.8 percent (18-of-22) from the free throw line. Hendrix shot 38.7 percent (24-of-62) from the floor and 47.4 percent (9-of-19) from the charity stripe.

Brown came off the bench to pace the Panthers with 17 points. Senior K.J. Hilliard had 14 points and five steals while junior sharpshooter Smith scored 11 points. Senior forward Travis Garrison added eight points and grabbed a team-high 14 boards.

Saturdays matchup against Rhodes College showcased much of the same result as Fridays game against Hendrix, as the Panthers rolled to a decisive 86-62 victory. GC held a 43-31 lead heading into intermission, and matched their first half effort in the second and dropped RC by a margin 24 points.

Brown again led the Panthers in points with 18, while fellow seniors Dondrale Campbell and Hilliard dropped in 16 and 12 points respectively. Smith added 12 points in the win while going 2-4 from three-point range, and senior guard Jose Garcia dished out four assists and forced four steals.

With the pair of wins Greenville College mens basketball moves to 2-1 on the season, and will return to action as they travel to Western Illinois on Tuesday, November 22 for a 7:30 pm tilt.