SEWANEE, Tenn. –
Reid Carrier posted 15 points, all in the second half, including the final nine of the game, helping Sewanee hold off Centre College, 72-66, in men's basketball action here Saturday in the conference opener for both teams at Juhan Gymnasium.
The Tigers (5-7, 1-0 SAA) led the entire first half, taking advantage of poor shooting by the Colonels (7-4, 0-1), but the visitors put together a 12-2 spurt early in the second period to take their first lead. Drake Ingram scored on a putback and Landen Hamilton made a 3-pointer before a layup from Sewanee's
Philip Ryan.
Izayiah Villafuerte's steal and layup and an old-fashioned 3-point play by Kalib Thomas knotted the game at 39. Villafuerte put Centre in front with two free throws with 13:30 to play in the contest.
The lead changed six times over the next seven minutes, with neither team leading by more than three. Villafuerte connected on a 3-pointer before Carrier answered with a layup plus the foul, evening the game at 50.
Hunter Coleman came back with a triple for the Colonels, but two free throws by
Nikolas Avaliani and then a layup from
Jack Bakken gave the Tigers a 54-53 edge with just over six minutes to play. Coleman's layup put Centre back in the lead with 5:59 to go, but the Colonels scored just two points over the next four-plus minutes, opening the door for Sewanee.
Bakken posted two baskets on pick-and-rolls and Carrier drilled a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 3:56 on the clock for a 61-55 advantage. Another Bakken layup pushed the lead to eight and after a layup by Centre's Nolan Wahl, Carrier drew the contact, made the layup and added the free throw with 2:01 remaining.
Ryan Shene, who led the Colonels with 14 points, answered with an old-fashioned 3-point play and after a turnover, Hamilton posted a layup, cutting the lead to 66-62 with 1:23 to play. Carrier again answered the bell for the Tigers with another 3-point play, drawing the foul and hitting the free throw to push the lead to seven with 50.8 seconds on the clock.
Shene got a putback with 33.1 seconds remaining, part of 19-second chance points for Centre on 23 offensive rebounds. Sewanee was a little shaky in the final minute at the foul line, with
JD Gardner missing two shots and Carrier converting 3-for-6, but it was enough to hold off the Colonels.
Carrier led the Tigers in scoring and added eight assists while
Fletcher Bigham and Ryan each netted 14 points and Bakken finished with 12.
Villafuerte collected 11 points and Hamilton posted 10 before fouling out in the final minute. Centre made just 4-of-29 from 3-point range while Sewanee was 5-for-22.
The Tigers got off to a quick start with seven straight points to open the game, including a 3-pointer by Fletcher and baskets from Bakken and
Aidan Treacy. Shene's field goal at the 16:39 mark were the first points for Centre, who made just 3-of-14 from the field in the first 12 minutes of the contest.
Shene added a triple for the Colonels but Bigham answered with a three and then posted two baskets in the paint, stretching the lead to 16-5. Thomas' old-fashioned 3-point play cut the Sewanee lead to nine before consecutive baskets from Gardner and Ryan for the Tigers.
Avaliani connected on two free throws at the six-minute mark for a 25-11 Sewanee advantage. The Tigers scored just four points in the final five minutes of the half, giving Centre an opening.
Shene made a layup and Johnny Djema's hook shot made it a 10-point game. Ryan added two foul shots for Sewanee before Wahl's basket for the Colonels. Ryan made two more free throws in the final minute, but Hamilton posted one foul shot, missed the second and grabbed the rebound, feeding Coleman, whose 15-footer at the buzzer cut the Sewanee lead to 32-23 at the break.
After the cold start, Centre made 6-of-14 from the field in the final seven minutes while the Tigers were 2-for-8 in the same stretch.
Sewanee hosts Rhodes College next Friday at 8 p.m., part of a three-game homestand to begin conference play for the Tigers.
