ELSAH, IL – In the final contest of a tough season for the Principia men's basketball team, the Panthers fell to the Blackburn College Beavers on Saturday by a final score of 95-86.
The team honored their three seniors,
Isaiah Parker,
Kingsley Cockburn, and
Charley Hoffman and with a pregame ceremony attended by each player's families and close friends. All three guys were big contributors to the team with Hoffman playing all four years and both Parker and Cockburn transferring in for their final two seasons. Parker and Cockburn were the Panthers' biggest threats from beyond the arc this season as they led the team in both three pointers made and three point percentage. Hoffman played an important role in the paint as he finished third on the team in rebounds per game this year.
Parker had an especially strong performance in his final college game as he led the team in scoring with 21 points, including 5 three-pointers. Cockburn closed things out by scoring 9 points on 3 threes while adding 1 rebound, 2 assists, and 1 steal. Hoffman finished with a well-rounded line of 5 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 block.
Nolan Simon scored 19 points on Saturday to cement his status as one of the top scorers in the conference as he finished fourth in the SLIAC with 17.0 points per game. Simon also showed off his defensive skills all season ranking third in the conference in steals per game, while
Bobby Alford III and
Eaton Smith finished fourth and fifth in the SLIAC in rebounds per game.
