ATLANTA - Five Sewanee men's basketball players finished in double figures as the Tigers concluded the Comfort Inn and Suites Holiday Classic with an 84-70 victory over the University of the Ozarks Sunday afternoon from the Dorough Field House on the campus of Oglethorpe University.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final Score: Sewanee (11-1) 84, Ozarks (Ark.) (2-10) 70
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HOW IT HAPPENED
-The teams went back-and-forth in the first 20 minutes, as no team had no more than an eight-point lead.
-After UofO drained a layup with 3:18 left in the opening half to cut the deficit to 35-32, Sewanee scored on their next two possessions to lead 40-32 with 2:20 left in the half. The Eagles responded by cutting the deficit to four, 42-38, at intermission.
-Just as in Saturday's game with Bridgewater, the Tigers' offense came to life. Sewanee pushed the lead to 11 with an 11-4 run in the first 4:30 of the second period.
-With nine minutes to go, the Tigers put the game away. The Purple and Gold went on a 17-4 run in a seven-minute span to finish off the Eagles.
-With Sunday's win, the Tigers finish their non-conference schedule with an 11-0 mark. This marks the first time the program has gone undefeated in non-conference play in school history.
ALL-COMFORT INN AND SUITES HOLIDAY CLASSIC TEAM:
Luke Smith, Sewanee (MVP)
Cam Caldwell, Sewanee
Demetri Chambers, Bridgewater
Bryson Johnson, Ozarks
Will Perry, Oglethorpe
SEWANEE KEY STATISTICS
-Luke Smith led all scorers with 22 points on 6-of-12 shooting and a perfect 8-of-8 from the free throw line.
-Jordan Warlick, in 23 minutes off the bench, connected on 5-of-7 from the field, 4-of-5 from downtown, to finish with 16 points.
-Adrian Thomas added 15 points, while Cam Caldwell contributed 12 points, eight rebounds, three steals and two blocks.
-Hunter Buescher totaled 10 points and six boards.
OZARKS KEY STATISTICS
-Lance Gardner led the Eagles with 13 points off the bench, while Bryson Johnson scored 12 points and added six dimes and five rebounds.
UP NEXT
The Tigers will step back into Southern Athletic Association play Friday, Jan. 4 with a weekend homestand. The Tigers will host Hendrix College at 8 p.m., following the women's game, inside Juhan Gymnasium.