Point's hot-shooting second half sinks Men’s Basketball, 77-66

MILLIGAN, Tenn. (December 11, 2021) – The Milligan University men's basketball team owned a five-point halftime lead, but eight second half threes by Point sunk the Buffs 77-66 on Saturday afternoon at the Steve Lacy Fieldhouse.

Milligan falls to 0-10 on the season and 0-8 in Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) play while Point rises to 8-6, 4-4 AAC.

Point took advantage of a slow Milligan start to take a 7-2 lead through the game's first five minutes. Following a Buffs' timeout, Milligan reeled off seven-straight points with a layup through contact by Piripi Korent, a Jackson Gabriel three and a Levontae Knox lay-in.

The teams exchanged buckets as the score was tied at 14 at the midway point of the first half. Milligan surged ahead 20-14 with six-straight points to kickstart a 9-1 run that put the Buffs' ahead 23-15 with 6:54 to play in the first half.

Korent banked in a three from the right win to push the Buffs' lead to nine (30-21) with two-and-a-half to play in the half and Milligan briefly led by 10 after a free throw by Knox. Point scored the final five points of the quarter to go to the halftime break with Milligan up 31-26.

The Skyhawks used a five-point run to tie the game at 33 with 17:45 remaining in the second half. Milligan went up 38-35 after a layup by Josh Thomas, but Point tied the game with a three with 13:46 to play in regulation and took the lead (40-38) for the first time in the second half the next trip down the floor.

The teams continued to trade baskets and the lead within a single possession until a trey from Point's Lorenzo Freeman Jr. put the visiting Skyhawks ahead 51-47 with eight minutes to play. Point's sixth three of the second half pushed its lead to 56-49 with six minutes remaining.

Point's seventh and eighth threes of the half helped push its advantage to 17 (66-49) as part of a larger 23-6 stretch. Milligan trimmed the lead to 11 with three minutes to play after six-straight points from Knox and Sanad. Point tallied the next three points and maintained a double-digit lead until Gabriel drilled a three to cut the Point advantage to 71-62 with 1:25 left in regulation.

Point kept the Buffs from getting any closer over the final minute and emerged with a 77-66 victory.

Knox paced the Milligan offense with 20 points on eight-of-11 shooting. Sanad had 15 points and Korent finished with 11 points, seven rebounds and three assists.

Point was paced by Freeman Jr. and Ray Reeves, who combined for 46 points on the evening. The Skyhawks shot 10-of-16 from deep in the win.

Milligan hosts Toccoa Falls in a nonconference matchup on Tuesday night.