GREENVILLE, S.C. – The Brevard College men's basketball team (0-5) fought hard in its matchup against the Bob Jones University Bruins (3-5), however, the Bruins outscored Brevard 15-8 over the game's final five minutes to claim a 73-66 triumph over the visiting Tornados on Tuesday evening in Greenville, South Carolina.
Tuesday's meeting between the two institutions marked the second time that Brevard and Bob Jones have faced one another this season, as the Bruins claimed an 80-78 victory over the Tornados on November 19 at the Boshamer Gymnasium in Brevard. BJU's victory gave the Bruins the season sweep over Brevard.
Cannon Lamb led the way for Brevard with a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds – six of which were of the offensive variety – for the junior forward from Marion, North Carolina.
Levi Lamb sparked Brevard's offense, which featured three double-digit scorers on the evening. Lamb, a senior from Atlanta, tallied 14 points on 5-of-15 shooting that included two 3-pointers and a pair of free throws. Lamb stuffed the stat sheet with five boards and a career-high five steals.
Sophomore guard Hayden Cassell set a new career-high mark with 11 points on an efficient 4-of-5 shooting with 2-of-3 3-point field goals. Sophomore guard Mike Williams added eight points on 3-of-4 shooting from the field, including two 3-pointers.
The Bruins of Bob Jones featured two double-digit scorers of their own, as Nate Ellenwood (18 points) and Hayes Brush (14 points) led the way for the Bruin attack.
Brevard tied a season-high with 10 3-pointers in its defeat to Bob Jones, while BC's defense forced 26 Bob Jones turnovers on 18 total steals. Brevard took advantage of its second-chance opportunities, outscoring Bob Jones 13-4 in the second-chance category.
The Bruins used an efficient 45% shooting performance from the field and a 82% mark from the line to propel themselves past the Tornados.
Tuesday's game featured nine ties and seven lead changes as the two sides battled throughout the contest.
After a back-and-forth first portion of the game, freshman forward Ja'Michael Boone tied the game at 23 apiece with a long-range jumper with 3:25 left to play, however, six-consecutive Bruin points gave Bob Jones the lead back.
Back-to-back 3-pointers from Levi Lamb and Demari Hopper gave Head Coach Lee Burgess' squad a one-point cushion, 32-31, with a minute to play before intermission. However, BJU's Jayson Barnhardt hit a layup to give the hosts a 33-32 advantage at the break.
Cannon Lamb kicked off half number two with a bucket that gave Brevard a brief lead before the Bruins answered right back with a score of their own. Turner gave the Tornados a 38-35 lead with a 3-pointer at the 17:32 mark, before the Bruins rallied to tie the contest at 40 thanks to a Jon Allen 3-pointer.
Allen's 3-pointer kick-started a game-high 14-0 scoring run for the Bruins that gave Bob Jones a commanding 51-40 lead at the 12:40 mark in the second stanza.
Burgess' resilient squad answered right back, stringing together a 10-0 run capped off with a Williams' 3-pointer that tied the contest at 54 with 7:33 left to play.
Following Williams' game-tying layup at the 5:49 mark, the Bruins strung together a quick 6-0 run that gave BJU a 64-58 lead at the 3:42 mark. Brevard's Boone answered back with a layup that cut Bob Jones' advantage to a four-point cushion, 64-60, with 2:37 remaining. Both sides traded free throws to make the score 66-62 in favor of the hosts with 38 seconds left in the contest, however, the Bruins made key free throws late to seal the non-conference victory, 73-66.
Brevard returns to action this Saturday, December 7 as the Brevard College basketball teams host a USA South Conference doubleheader at the Boshamer Gymnasium. BC's women's squad hosts Wesleyan College at 2 p.m., followed by the men's team, who faces Berea College. Tip-off between Brevard and Berea is slated for an approximate start of 4 p.m.
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