Red Wolves - IU East

PIPPA PASSES, Ky. - Tyler Rigby wasn't thinking about the 1,000-plus points he has now scored during his Indiana University East career.

He was thinking about the two more points he wished he had scored Feb. 13 at Alice Lloyd College - two points that might have helped the Red Wolves avoid a 69-68 Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference loss against the Eagles.

Rigby (Bryant, Ind./Jay County High School) scored 23 points to surpass the 1,000-point mark for his IU East career, but it wasn't enough as the Red Wolves (12-12, 4-6 KIAC) dropped their third consecutive game.

"I was told I had 1,001, but I wish it was 1,003 because that means we would have won the game," Rigby said.

Rigby became the first IU East player to score 1,000 points in NAIA competition.

Brandon Hayes' free throw with 1:02 remaining broke the game's eighth tie and proved to be the winning point for Alice Lloyd (7-17, 2-8), which snapped a six-game losing streak.

IU East had six shots to take the lead in the final 62 seconds, but missed all six.

The Red Wolves had one last chance to pull out the win after Michael Lindon missed two free throws with nine seconds remaining, but Hayes blocked IU East's last shot at the buzzer.

Rigby scored his last 13 points in a five-minute flurry that helped IU East erase a seven-point deficit midway through the second half.

IU East later would take a 63-58 lead on Brent Burris' 3-pointer with 6:26 remaining, but the Red Wolves managed just five more points the rest of the way.

IU East led by eight in the first half after senior Jacobe Edmondson delivered a pregame talk that concluded with the message, "There's nothing to say. It's all about actions now."

The Eagles' actions spoke loudest after the Red Wolves' fast start.

Alice Lloyd dominated the last six minutes of the first half and led 34-33 at the break, setting the tone for a back-and-forth contest.

"At this point in the season, it's just 'want-to,'" Rigby said. "And I think they had more 'want-to' than we did."

Nick Brumback led Alice Lloyd with 20 points. The Eagles avenged an 89-65 loss in Richmond last month.

The decisive stat: Alice Lloyd made 14 of 23 free throws. IU East made four of six.

IU East hosts KIAC foe Cincinnati Christian University at approximately 8:45 p.m. Feb. 16 in the Richmond High School Tiernan Center, following the conclusion of the Richmond High School-Anderson High School boys basketball game.

Richmond and Anderson fans are invited to stay and enjoy the IU East-CCU contest. RHS or Anderson fans who present their ticket stub or game program at the IU East ticket table also will receive free tickets for the Red Wolves' Feb. 18 and Feb. 20 home games.

The IU East-CCU game will be broadcast on NewsTalk 930 WHON-AM and www.930whon.com.