The Eagles came into last night's game looking to right the ship after their early season struggles. During the first home game of the 2017–2018 basketball season, the team hoped for a boost from the home crowd. Over 1,800 fans packed the Sports Center arena to see their Eagles take on Concordia College from Selma, AL. 

Right from the tipoff, the atmosphere felt electric. The Eagles jumped out to an early lead, but the turnover problems they've been struggling with this season quickly appeared. Concordia College, led by Dreshaun Jones, would go on a run to widen their early lead. 

Throughout the first half, the Eagles struggled to make smart passes. Head Coach Mark Goetsch said, "We just didn't handle the proper way to break a press. We tried to dribble our way through it." The Eagles would slowly begin to make better passes as the first half went on. 

The Eagles would go on a run to end the half. After trailing by as many as 17, the Eagles, led by Dakota Pratt's 12 points, would narrow the gap at halftime to 35-29.

As the second half got underway, the Eagles began to make smarter decisions. Led by junior guard Ian Johnson, they cut Concordia's lead to just 2 points. On the night, Ian would go on to score 17 points with 11 rebounds (9 offensive). After the game, Ian said, "I struggled early on to find my shot. I tried to contribute however I could. In the 2nd half, I tried to dribble-drive more, and that's what worked for me tonight. I wanted to give my teammates the best opportunity to win."

The Eagles two-pronged attack, led by Dakota Pratt and Ian Johnson, helped keep the game close. The Eagles would tie the score up with 5 minutes remaining, but ultimately they were unable to close out the game with a victory. 

Sophomore Dakota Pratt would again lead the team in scoring with 18 points. After the game he said, "The crowd was amazing out there tonight. They gave us a huge boost throughout the game! They made it easier to keep working every play with the energy that they were providing."

Despite their first half struggles, the Eagles outscored Concordia College 44-42 in the second half of action. On the night, the Eagles finished the game shooting 38% from the floor. Although the Eagles took care of the ball better in the second half, they were unable to win the turnover battle, giving the ball up 24 times compared to 23 for Concordia College.

With last night's loss, the Eagles fell to 2-6 on the season. The Eagles will be in action next on Tuesday night when they take on the University of Mobile in an important road contest.