MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa -- Sikeston graduate Julian Beard has become an important piece of the puzzle for the Marshalltown Community College basketball team.
Beard, in his first season with the Tigers, is averaging seven points per game and is second on the team in 3-pointers with 31. Through his first 16 games, Beard is shooting 43 percent from 3-point range and is shooting 82 percent from the free throw line for the 9-10 Tigers.
On Jan. 20, against Southeastern Community College, Beard hit seven 3-
pointers and helped MCC send the game into overtime. Down 63-60 with 14 seconds remaining in regulation, Beard hit a closely guarded, fall-away 3-
pointer to tie the game and send it into overtime. MCC eventually lost the game 78-70. Beard finished with 21 points.
Beard, a 2007 graduate from Sikeston, was a two-time all-stater for the Bulldogs and was a key part of the team's second place finish in Class 4 in 2006.