Four Buffs with 15+ in AAC win

MILLIGAN, Tenn. (Nov. 24, 2020) – Double-doubles from Josh Thomas and Tyler Faulkenberry, plus 15+ points from Thomas, Faulkenberry, David Tripp and Trevor Hensley, led the Milligan University men's basketball team to a hard-fought 87-78 Appalachian Athletic Conference victory over Bluefield Tuesday night in Steve Lacy Fieldhouse.

Tripp scored a team-high 21, Hensley scored 19, and Thomas posted 17 points, 10 rebounds while Faulkenberry posted 15 points, 11 rebounds. The win kept the Buffaloes (2-2, 2-1 AAC) perfect at home.

"This was a great overall team effort tonight," said Head Coach Bill Robinson. "Trevor did a great job at point guard filling in for the injured Finn McClure, and David had a fantastic second half after getting in foul trouble early. This big AAC win will make Thanksgiving extra special this year."

Lethal second-half run leads Buffs to victory

The game featured nine ties and eight lead changes, but none of those came after Milligan unleashed a 22-5 run midway through the second half. It started with a Jackson Gabriel made 3-pointer, followed shortly by a Hensley and-one then Faulkenberry offensive putback that quickly swung the Buffs into their final lead.

The Buffs scored 11 straight points during the stretch, including a Faulkenberry three that made it 75-66, the largest lead from either team until that point.

Bluefield (1-2, 1-1 AAC) battled back to make it a five-point game inside the final minute, but Milligan went 4-for-6 on their last three trips to the line to seal the win.

Stuffing the stat sheet

Tripp scored 19 of his 21 points in the second half, going 10-for-12 from the field and posting six rebounds, two assists, two blocks and two steals. Hensley's 19 points came on 5-for-14 shooting from the field and 8-for-10 shooting from the free throw line. Hensley also added a game high six assists.

The double-doubles from Thomas and Faulkenberry were both the first of their careers.

Gabriel finished with eight points after going 2-for-5 from the perimeter.

The Buffaloes shot 51.5 percent (34-66) from the field in the win, including 57.6 percent (19-33) in the second half. They also only turned the ball over seven times while coming up with nine steals on the defensive end.

Jermiah Jenkins led Bluefield with 22 points on 8-for-17 shooting (3-for-6 from three).

Up next

Milligan breaks for Thanksgiving but then will turn around quickly for a game Friday night in Kingsport, Tennessee. The Buffaloes will face Mount Vernon Nazarene in a neutral game at the MeadowView Conference Resort and Convention Center at 7 p.m. After that, Milligan will play four more AAC games in December before breaking for Christmas.

Highlights