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CEDAR CITY, Utah (AP) -- Justin Allen scored 25 points, and Nurudeen Adepoju added a career-high 24, leading Southern Utah to a 78-57 win over Centenary on Saturday night.
The Thunderbirds (11-7, 1-2 Mid-Continent) shot 61 percent overall and 74 percent from 3-point range.
Tyrone Hamilton scored 24 points to lead Centenary (7-12, 1-3). Larry Logan and Alexander Starr added 12 and 11 points, respectively.
Allen went 9-for-11 from the field to match his career high, while Adepoju made five of six 3-point attempts, including three in a pivotal stretch in the second half.
Led by Adepoju's seven rebounds, Southern Utah outrebounded the Gents 33-25. Steve Barnes had nine of the Thunderbird's 15 assists.
Centenary entered the game leading the Mid-Continent Conference in scoring average at 71.2 points per game with a field-goal percentage of 46 percent, but the Gents shot just 39 percent and committed 11 turnovers.
After Hamilton's layup a minute into the game, Centenary went nearly seven minutes without a field goal.
Meanwhile, Allen's 3-pointer from the left wing and the first of three fast-break dunks off steals helped Southern Utah build a 17-5 lead midway through the first half.
The Gents responded by scoring the next 13 points, including three straight baskets by Hamilton, the last of which gave Centenary an 18-17 lead with 6:14 left in the half.
Allen's fast-break layup ignited a 12-2 spurt that restored Southern Utah's double-digit lead. The Thunderbirds led 34-25 at halftime.
Adepoju hit three 3-pointers in the first 4:14 of the second half, with the third one putting Southern Utah ahead 48-31 with 15:46 left.
Swaney Cooper's free throw gave the Thunderbirds their biggest lead, 76-53, with 2:14 remaining.
(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APTV-01-13-07 2218MST
