Box Score SEWANEE, Tenn. –
Fletcher Bigham netted 23 points, 17 in the first half, Luke Avaliani added 15 and Sewanee used a 12-5 run midway through the second half to take the lead for good in a 78-73 victory over Centre in the quarterfinals of the SAA Championships in men's basketball action Sunday in Danville, Ky.
The Tigers advance to the semifinals of the conference tournament next weekend.
Sewanee led 52-48 with 12:21 to play after a Chez Moore layup for the Colonels and one foul shot by Avaliani started the run.
Russ Marr converted an old-fashioned 3-point play before two free throws by
Cody Baerlocher.
Layups by Marr and
Graham Smith and a basket by Avaliani with7:19 remaining put the Tigers in front, 64-53.
Four points by Landen Hamilton and a pair of 3-pointers from Jaxson Smith cut the Sewanee lead to 66-63 with 4:36 on the clock, but
Tre Corrigan answered for the Tigers with a driving layup and then a huge 3-pointer with 2:42 to play.
Centre kept nailing triples to keep it close, with Landen Hamilton making another, but Smith made 3-of-4 at the foul line for a 74-66 advantage. Hamilton hit another three but Avaliani answered with a patented turnaround jumper and then two free throws.
The Colonels finally missed from behind the arc and Sewanee drilled out the last five seconds for the win, avenging a loss in Danville just four days ago.
Moore finished with 20 points for Centre while Hamilton netted 18 and Cade Stinnett posted 15.
Stinnett made consecutive 3-pointers to open the game for the Colonels and a jumper by Hamilton and a dunk from Moore put the home team in front, 10-4. Bigham recorded two field goals and Avaliani added another, cutting the deficit to 12-10, five minutes into the game.
Corrigan and
Reid Carrier connected on triples for the Tigers, knotting the game at 16, and Bigham's layup midway through the half gave Sewanee its first lead, 21-20. Bigham added two more layups for a 25-22 edge and another 3-pointer by Bigham pushed the lead to 29-24.
Baskets by Caleb Maul and Hamilton made it a one-point game, but Corrigan made two free throws and Bigham netted another layup for a 35-34 Sewanee advantage at intermission.
