SEWANEE, Tenn. – Centre men's basketball saw its six-game winning streak snapped as the Colonels dropped their Southern Athletic Association opener to the Sewanee Tigers by a score of 80-59 on Saturday afternoon.
HIGHLIGHTS
- The first half was an offensive struggle as both teams experienced scoring droughts of five minutes. Centre's cold spell came first, occurring midway through the period and allowing the Tigers to double them up 16-8 at the halfway mark of the first half.
- Centre clamped down towards the end of the half, clawing back to within two points at 24-22 on a three from
Dawson Crump, but an Adrian Thomas putback gave Sewanee a 26-22 advantage at the break.
- The two teams traded baskets early in the second half, with Sewanee matching every Centre score. With the Tigers up 38-34 at the 16-minute mark, Sewanee made the biggest run of the game, making six shots in a row and kickstarting a 29-5 scoring blast to effectively put the game away.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- The difference maker in the contest was shooting, as the Tigers hit on a 54 percent clip from the field compared to 33 percent for the Colonels. Sewanee shot 66 percent in the second half, including 60 percent from long distance after Centre had held the Tigers to 1-12 three-point shooting in the first half.
- No player did more damage than Thomas, who scored 20 of his game high 34 points in the second half, going a perfect 8-8 from the field.
- Returning from injury,
Perry Ayers led the way for Centre with 16 points and five rebounds.
Bailey Rakes and
Dawson Crump added 11 points each for the Colonels.
NEXT UP
After finals, the Colonels will travel to Daytona Beach, Fla. for tournament action, beginning with a game against Marymount on Dec. 19.
