Mason Scores Game-High 25 in Debut as Chargers Open Season
Aaron Frey
Tuesday, February 16, 2021 8:34 PM
Athletics
Galesburg, IL
Freshman Gabe Mason (Metamora, Ill./Metamora) scored a game-high 25 points in his collegiate debut as the Carl Sandburg College men’s basketball team opened its season with a 100-75 loss to Highland on Tuesday at John M. Lewis Gymnasium.
KEY MOMENTS
- The Chargers trailed 53-36 at halftime, but an 11-0 run helped cut their deficit to 55-47 just 5 minutes into the second half. Mason hit a 3-pointer early in the run, and Sandburg also got buckets from sophomores Jean Luc Wilson (East Moline, Ill./United Township), Brock Bower-Preece (Mapleton, Ill./Illini Bluffs) and Lane Ippensen (La Prairie, Ill./Camp Point Central).
- Highland (5-3) answered right back, though, using back-to-back 3s from Joshua Morris to open a stretch where it scored 25 of the next 28.
SANDBURG STANDOUT
Mason finished 7 of 10 from the floor, which included knocking down 6 of his 8 3-point attempts. The freshman also had a team-best four assists.
OTHER TOP CHARGERS
- Wilson had 17 points, two steals and went 8 of 9 from the free-throw line.
- Vaughn Toyne (Petersburg, Ill./PORTA) went 5 of 7 from the floor to finish with 13 points.
- Bower-Preece finished a point away from double figures and had six of Sandburg’s 10 steals.
BACK IN ACTION
The contest was the first indoor competition for any Sandburg team this season and was the first Chargers men’s basketball game since the Region IV tournament championship game March 7, 2020 — a span of 347 days.
FOR THE COUGARS
- Tony Eddy: 21 points (seven 3s)
- Justin Warren 19 points
- Carlos Ramsey 11 points
UP NEXT FOR SANDBURG
The Chargers will host St. Ambrose JV at 6 p.m. Friday in a game just added to the schedule Tuesday afternoon.
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