Lions down C-N in OT thriller

MARS HILL, N.C. - The Mars Hill men's basketball team (7-15, 3-10 SAC) defeated Carson-Newman (11-12, 5-8 SAC) by a score of 69-64 in overtime Wednesday evening inside Chambers Gymnasium.

Trailing by two at the end of the second half, Luke Brenegan drained a long jumper to tie the game at the buzzer, 62-62, forcing the overtime frame.

Isaiah Jones put the Lions up 66-64 with 3:10 remaining in the contest, a lead the Lions would not relinquish. Jackson Reid would clinch the contest with two made free throws with 19 seconds remaining. Kory Davis added another point, his 17th of the night, with four seconds left to complete the come from behind victory.

Carson-Newman led 29-20 after the first 20 minutes of play with Ren Dyer leading all players with nine points. Brenegan added six for the Eagles as they shot 44 percent from the floor and hit 8-of-13 threes in the half.

Prosper Obidiebube led the Lions with six points and added three rebounds. Jones added five points and five rebounds.

Mars Hill tied the contest at 34 with 6:47 elapsed in the second half, going on a 14-5 run and took the lead 37-34 to cap off the run at 17-5. Battling throughout the half, Mars Hill built their lead to five, 53-48, with just over six minutes to play.

Bryant Thomas and Nick Brenegan netted nine apiece in the Eagles second half. Kory Davis led all players with 14 points and three assists in the half. Reid went 3-for-4 from beyond the arc to added nine points.

The Eagles shot 41 percent from the floor, hitting 10 threes in the contest. Dyer led the Eagles with 17 points and added seven rebounds. Thomas netted 13 points and pulled down 11 rebounds for the double-double.

Davis led the Lions with 17 points and five assists while collecting five rebounds. Reid ended the night with 11 points while Jones chipped in 10 points and 10 rebounds for the double-double.

THe Lions host Warren Wilson on Thursday, February 9 inside Chambers Gymnasium. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.