Wallace State men’s basketball team loses conference home opener despite career day from Jestin Lewis

HANCEVILLE – Jestin Lewis’s career-high 28 points for Wallace State’s men’s basketball team wasn’t enough to hold off Marion Military on Saturday, as the pesky Tigers escaped with a 52-50 victory at Tom Drake Coliseum.
Marion Military broke a 40-40 tie with 6:54 remaining in the game and never relinquished the lead, nursing no more than a six-point advantage until time expired.
Wallace State’s Lewis doubled his season average in scoring, but the rest of the Lions (12-8, 0-3 Alabama Community College Conference) struggled to maintain any offensive consistency, dropping their fourth game in a row and conference home opener.
Both teams labored offensively. The game was tied at 21-21 at halftime, and the teams traded leads 12 times in the opening 10 minutes of the second half. After the Tigers gained control of the lead, Josh Murrell’s jumper gave the Tigers a 46-40 advantage with 3:36 remaining.
Lewis later cut Marion Military’s advantage to two points with 23.5 seconds remaining in the game, but Marion Military’s Kenny Tablo answered with a fast-break bucket, sealing the game for the Tigers (11-10, 0-3 ACCC).
Sean Anthony added nine points for Wallace State in the loss and Jacquise Moore contributed eight.
Henry Baker finished with 15 points for Marion Military, Murrell had 14, Mike McCode nine and Kenny Tablo added seven.
Wallace State resumes conference play on Monday with a doubleheader, hosting both the Southern Union women and men’s teams, beginning at 5:30 p.m.
For more information about Wallace State athletics, visit wallacestate.edu.