By: Keller Sherman
Featured Image Courtesy of Southern Utah Athletics
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Southern Utah’s season came to a heartbreaking end on Tuesday night. The Thunderbirds fell to Eastern Kentucky 108-106 in a double-overtime thriller. With the season now officially over, the focus now shifts to who the next head coach of the Thunderbirds will be. Interim head coach Flynn Clayman made his case with two wins in the CBI. The ball is now in Doug Knuth’s court. Knuth has only been SUU’s athletic director for three months and has a very important decision to make. Todd Simon set an elite standard that must be continued with the next man in charge.
Individual Highlights
In a game where both teams reach triple figures, there will be a ton of individual scoring highlights. Eastern Kentucky’s Isaiah Cozart went for 31 points and 13 rebounds. Cameron Healy was the leading scorer for the Thunderbirds with 23 points. He has been great off the bench the entire CBI and saved his best showing for last. Healy certainly hoped it would not be his last, but the senior will still go out on a high note. Drake Allen’s 22-point output was the second-highest for the Thunderbirds. Harrison Butler got his double-double after falling just short in his last outing. He had 10 rebounds and 12 points. Maizen Fausett and Jason Spurgin provided a defensive presence with eight rebounds apiece. Dee Barnes and Tevian Jones finished with 17 and 16 points respectively.
Up Next
With the season over, all eyes are on the head coaching search. In addition to bringing in a coach that can continue Todd Simon’s success, there is another important task. Keeping Drake Allen and Jason Spurgin in Cedar City will need to be a priority. Getting younger players to step up will also be imperative in the 2023-24 campaign. The next headman of SUU will have a tall task ahead of him.