SEWANEE, Tenn. –
Tre Corrigan and
Russ Marr each netted 17 points but Sewanee fell into an early hole and never recovered, dropping an 89-70 decision at Birmingham-Southern in men's basketball action Sunday afternoon in Birmingham, Ala.
The Tigers (5-9, 1-2 SAA) took their only lead of the game thanks to an 8-0 spurt three-and-a-half minutes into the contest, but the Panthers (9-6, 3-1) answered with a 13-1 run and never looked back from there, leading by double figures for most of the last 10 minutes of the first half.
Sewanee shot just 30 percent from the field (10-for-30) overall in the opening 20 minutes, though the Tigers made 5-of-12 from behind the arc. Defensively Sewanee struggled to stop Birmingham-Southern, which connected on 59 percent on field goals in the opening period. Sewanee also committed 10 turnovers in the first half, which led to 17 points for the Panthers.
Birmingham-Southern scored the first seven points of the game, including an old-fashioned 3-point play by Jay Gillispie and field goals from Brandan Garrido and Brandan Copeland, but Sewanee answered with eight consecutive points.
Marr connected on a 3-pointer before a basket by
Rashaun Williams and then another triple from Marr, but the Tigers netted just one point over the next four-plus minutes and BSC took advantage.
Brody Davis collected three baskets and Kalib Thomas made a 3-pointer during the ensuing 13-1 spurt for BSC.
Graham Smith ended the scoring drought for the Tigers with a three and Sewanee kept the deficit between eight and 11 points for the next four minutes.
Birmingham-Southern posted eight straight points over a little more than a minute, stretching its lead to 35-19, with seven minutes left in the period. Kaleb Green netted a 3-pointer plus the foul and Nolan Dean and Garrido added baskets for BSC.
Corrigan's 3-pointer for the Tigers briefly interrupted the run for the Panthers, but Garrido and Dean added field goals and a layup by Thomas in the final minute made it 45-26 BSC at the break
Corrigan netted 14 of his 17 points in the second half and Luke Avaliani and Smith each finished with 10 points.
Sewanee is back at home next week, hosting Oglethorpe on Friday at 8 p.m. and Berry on Sunday at 3 p.m.
