MONTGOMERY, Ala. – A reverse of fortune in the second half, which resulted in a 35-16 scoring difference by Huntingdon, helped provide the Hawks with a 56-47 victory in men's basketball action on Friday evening.
The Hawks (8-9) overcame a 10-point deficit after the intermission by hitting 11-of-28 (39.3%) from the floor and 12-of-19 (63.2%) at the charity stripe in the second half. Huntingdon's duo of Scotty Chadwick and Brandon McLean, who scored eight points each in the second, led the way offensively.
R.J. Jones led the way for the Huntingdon offense, scoring 11 points on 3-of-8 shooting. Jones knocked down three of the four Hawk 3-point field goals in the process. He was joined in double figure scoring by McLean, who recorded 10 points (4-9 FG) and climbed the glass for eight rebounds.
Clinging to a four-point lead just over two minutes into the second half, Stevie Williams slid past the Huntingdon defense to give Brevard (4-11) a 33-27 advantage. That was followed by a layup by Levi Lamb less than a minute later, which allowed the Tornados to maintain their six-point advantage.
Four points by John Jay Graves sparked an 8-0 run by Huntingdon, who assumed a 37-35 lead with 13:44 remaining following two free throws by McLean. A free throw by Williams halted the Brevard drought, but the Hawks' offense scored 11 unanswered over the next 6:28 of the contest to move in front 48-36.
Brevard's next two points, stretched out over a span of 2:34, came via free throws from Cannon Lamb and JaMarquis Johnson as the Hawk lead ballooned to 54-38. Levi Lamb returned to the offensive form he possessed in the first half, scoring five points in a 35 second span, as Brevard cut the lead to nine, 54-45. However, Huntingdon held off the late challenge to complete the nine-point win.
Levi Lamb capped off the game by leading the Tornados' offense with 18 points, while Williams added 13. Lamb finished 7-of-12 from the floor, hitting 3-of-7 from the 3-point line, while adding two steals and two blocks. Williams topped double figures by hitting 5-of-9 from the field and climbed the glass for a team-best seven rebounds.
McLean opened the scoring in the contest, but the Tornados established a 10-4 lead at the 14:51 mark in a run that was bookended by 3-pointers from Stevie Williams and Levi Lamb. Lamb found his rhythm in the Brevard offense and scored eight of the next 12 points, converting two 3-pointers along the way, as the Tornados established a 22-6 advantage just over midway through the frame.
Teammates Demari Hopper and JaMarquis Johnson helped Brevard to establish a 17-point advantage, 26-9, before the Hawks crept into double figures following a 3-pointer by T.C. Elmore. Huntingdon scored nine of the final 14 points, keyed by a pair of R.J. Jones treys, to make for a 31-21 Tornado lead at the intermission.
The Tornados complete their weekend with a 5 p.m. meeting with LaGrange.