SEWANEE, Tenn. –
Luka Avaliani netted 20 points,
Fletcher Bigham posted 18 points and 10 rebounds and Sewanee used a 13-0 run early in the second half to break open a close game en route to a 95-83 win against Hendrix in the quarterfinals of the SAA Men's Basketball Championships here Sunday at the Fowler Center.
The Tigers (18-14) advance to the semifinals this Friday to face Centre College at 6 p.m. CT in Mt. Berry, Ga.
Sewanee led 43-41 at the half thanks to a last-second 3-pointer by
Tre Corrigan and the lead was 47-44 after a triple by Hendrix's Caleb Squires a minute into the second period. The Tigers registered the next 13 points of the game, holding the Warriors without a point for more than five minutes.
Graham Smith made 1-of-2 foul shots to start the run and Bigham posted an old-fashioned 3-point play. Squires was called for a flagrant foul and Avaliani connected on both free throws and then scored on the ensuing possession. Corrigan then made a 3-pointer and
Russ Marr finished the spurt with a layup for a 60-44 advantage with 15:23 to play.
Hendrix came right back with eight consecutive points, all from Jaxon Herrera, but Avaliani ended the run with a triple. Herrera and Sky Tschurr each posted 3-pointers, cutting the Sewanee lead to 66-60 with 10 minutes to go.
Jimmy Mitchell hit a triple for the Tigers, pushing the advantage back to nine, but the Warriors would not go away, getting as close as three after a basket by Colten Berry and a pair of three's from Beau Kronenberger with eight minutes to go.
Mitchell connected on another 3-pointer before two foul shots by Bigham and another three from Corrigan. Bigham's putback pushed the lead to 81-68 with six minutes to play. Hendrix never got closer than eight the rest of the way.
Avaliani was 6-for-6 from the field, 2-for-2 from 3-point range and 6-of-7 at the foul line for his 18 points. Marr finished with 17 points and Corrigan made 3-of-8 from behind the arc and added 13 points.
Herrera led the Warriors with 18 points while Squires collected 15 and Tyler Deithloff recorded 12 points and 11 rebounds. Three other Hendrix players netted nine points apiece.
Neither team led by more than two points in the first nine minutes of the game before Sewanee put together a 12-4 spurt midway through the period.
Reid Carrier started the run with a 3-pointer and added a layup, Avaliani hit a triple and Marr and Avaliani each connected on two free throws for a 25-18 edge.
Squires made a jumper and Deithloff posted two baskets, knotting the game at 29, but a 3-pointer and layup by Marr made it 36-31 with 2:35 left in the period. Hendrix scored 10 of the next 14 points, including a field goal by Deithloff before a triple from Squires.
Berry's basket tied the game and Herrera's bucket plus the foul put the Warriors in front, 41-40, with five seconds left in the half. Corrigan's 3-pointer at the buzzer, which was reviewed by the officials, gave Sewanee a two-point edge at intermission.
