Box Score ROME, Ga. – Centre men's basketball advanced to its first conference championship game appearance since the 2019-20 season as the no. 3 seed Colonels defeated the no. 2 seed Sewanee Tigers 85-70 in the SAA Tournament semifinals.
 
GAME HIGHLIGHTS
 
- The Colonels got off to another good start as Landen Hamilton scored Centre's first ten points of the game.
- The lead went back and forth for most of the first half. Sewanee held a 19-15 advantage before Centre fired back with an 8-0 run, capped off by consecutive buckets from Hamilton and Hunter Coleman.
- Centre gradually extended the lead over the final seven minutes of the half. They went up by double digits for the first time after Carson Wooldridge buried his second straight three off the bench. Hamilton capped off his first half with 22 points and Jaxson Banks got inside for a layup with six seconds left to give Centre a 44-30 lead at the break.
- Johnny Djema scored Centre's first five points of the second half on a dunk and a three-point play. Centre outscored Sewanee 19-8 in the first eight minutes of the second half, going up by as many as 25 points at 63-38 on a steal and score by Banks.
- The Tigers did not quit and rallied to cut the deficit to 11 points, but Centre had an answer every time Sewanee looked to get it under ten. A three by Banks at just under the three-minute mark effectively put the game away at 75-61 as Centre iced it from the free throw line, scoring their final ten points of the night at the charity stripe.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
 
- Hamilton had the finest night of his collegiate career as the sophomore point guard set new career highs with 35 points and ten rebounds to go along with six assists and two steals. Banks added 14 points for his 26th consecutive game in double figures.
- SAA Newcomer of the Year Nolan Wahl finished with 11 points and a game high 11 rebounds for his eighth double-double of the season and his second straight in the postseason
- The Centre defense held the league's top scoring offense to just 19 percent shooting (5-27) from three-point range.
 
NEXT UP
 
Centre will play top seed Berry for the SAA Tournament Championship on Saturday at 5 PM.