Zahir Gutierrez Scores 31 to Lead Spring Hill Over Mississippi Christian

Zahir Gutierrez scored 31 points to power the Spring Hill College men’s basketball team to a 96-93 victory over Mississippi Christian University on Saturday afternoon at Bruce Hall/Johnson Gymnasium.

The Badgers built a 54-42 halftime advantage behind 21 first-half field goals and eight three-pointers. Gutierrez shot 12-of-21 from the field while adding five rebounds and three assists.

Houston Cunningham finished with 21 points on 8-of-14 shooting, including three-pointers. Sheldon Gatlin added 17 points off the bench by knocking down four triples, and Keaton Cross contributed 10 points and three assists.

Spring Hill led by as many as 14 points early in the second half before Mississippi Christian chipped away at the margin. The visitors pulled even at 79-79 with 6:35 remaining as the two teams traded baskets down the stretch.

Gutierrez tied the game at 91-91 with a three-pointer with 1:59 remaining. Spring Hill went ahead when Gatlin made a free throw, though Mississippi Christian countered with a pair of foul shots to pull ahead 93-92 with 1:03 remaining.

Cross converted two attempts at the line with 55 seconds left to give the Badgers a 94-93 advantage. Following a defensive stop, Gutierrez delivered a layup with nine seconds remaining to extend the lead to three points, and Mississippi Christian missed its final three-point attempt.

During the afternoon, Spring Hill registered a 49.3 percent field goal percentage alongside a 39.3 percent success rate from three-point range. The Badgers scored 19 points off 13 turnovers while committing five turnovers themselves.

Israel Kongolo paced the Badgers on the glass with seven rebounds and added five assists. Alex Madrid chipped in six rebounds and three assists.

Spring Hill returns to action Tuesday, Nov. 17, traveling to take on South Alabama in an exhibition matchup with tipoff scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Mitchell Center.