Thomas’ late basket, FT advance Buffs in AAC tourney

MILLIGAN, Tenn. (Feb. 20, 2021) – Josh Thomas scored a basket with 46 seconds to go before making a free throw to give the Milligan University men's basketball team the final lead with under five seconds left in helping the Buffaloes survive St. Andrews 83-81 in the opening round of the Appalachian Athletic Conference tournament Saturday in Steve Lacy Fieldhouse.

Milligan trailed by 14 in the first half, by eight in the second half, and by two with 1:30 to go before finishing the game on a 6-2 run. David Tripp led all scorers with 22 points, 12 rebounds and five assists for his second double-double of the season. The 12 rebounds and five assists both matched his career highs.

"This was a really good win for the Buffs," Head Coach Bill Robinson said after the win. "St. Andrews played really well, and we were able to make plays down the stretch to get the victory. David played great, and we made free throws down the stretch. I know the guys are looking forward to playing in Kingsport."

Buffs weather early storm before finishing strong

Milligan (11-9, 10-8 AAC) started the game flat, with St. Andrews playing as loose as a 12 seed, and the game quickly turned into a 14-point lead in favor of the Knights. Trailing by 11 with 10 minutes to go in the first half, Tyler Faulkenberry, Levontae Knox and Thomas put the Buffs on a 7-0 run to get it down to a four-point game, but the Knights were quick to get it back up to double figures with a 7-0 run of their own.

Milligan finished the first half on a 12-6 run to make it 41-38 at the break.

Like the last 10 minutes of the first half, nearly the entire second half was back and forth. Milligan led at one point by five while St. Andrews led at one point by eight.

After the ninth tie of the game at 79-79, Thomas gave the Buffs what looked to be the winning basket, but St. Andrews answered on their end with a layup with 30 seconds left. Thomas again was the Buffs' go-to on the final possession in the closing seconds and earned a foul which sent him to the line tied 81-81. Thomas made the first and missed the second, but Tripp was there for the offensive rebound, drawing a foul himself which sent him to the line.

Tripp made the first and missed the second as well, and St. Andrews' desperation three at the buzzer missed left.

Game facts

Following Tripp in the scoring column were three other Buffaloes in double figures. Faulkenberry scored 15, Knox 14 and Thomas 10. Knox added five assists while Thomas added eight rebounds.

Tripp's 22-point effort featured 16 points in the second half and marked the 15th time in 17 games this season he scored 17 or more.

For St. Andrews, Myron Williams led the way with a double-double consisting of 22 points and 10 rebounds. Isaac Clay scored 21, and Ahmed Gustave scored 14.

Up next

Milligan faces Tennessee Wesleyan in the quarterfinals Thursday at 12 p.m. at MeadowView Conference Resort and Convention Center in Kingsport. No fans are permitted to attend, but all games can be followed online through aacsports.com. Milligan lost at Tennessee Wesleyan 85-68 in the only meeting between the two teams this season (Nov. 14).