SEWANEE, Tenn. - The Sewanee men's basketball team improved to 12-1 on the season with a 78-70 victory in the conference home opener over Hendrix College Friday night inside Juhan Gymnasium.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final Score: Sewanee (12-1, 1-1) 78, Hendrix (5-8, 1-1) 70
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HOW IT HAPPENED
-Sewanee sprinted out to an 11-2 lead in the first 4:30 of the contest and extended the lead to 21-5 with a 11 minutes left in the opening half thanks to a 10-0 run.
-Hendrix would make it an 11-point halftime deficit, but it was the Purple and Gold who took a 35-24 lead at intermission.
-The Warriors came out strong in the second half. Trailing 44-29 with 17 minutes remaining in regulation, the visitors cut the deficit to five, 46-41, thanks to a 12-2 run in about a three-plus minute span.
-However, the Tigers, leading 49-44 with 12 minutes left in the contest, sealed the deal in a five-plus minute span with a 16-2 run to extend the lead to 65-46 to seal the lead for good, despite a failed comeback attempt by the Warriors.
-Sewanee recorded an assist on 16 of the team's 26 field goals, and they recorded eight fastbreak points.
SEWANEE KEY STATISTICS
-Hunter Buescher missed his career high by one point with a season-best 26 points on 9-of-10 shooting and 4-of-4 from downtown.
-Luke Smith added 13 points thanks for a 6-of-6 mark from the free throw line, and he added six boards and five assists.
-Jordan Warlick added 13 points and five rebounds, while Adrian Thomas contributed a double-double with 12 points and 10 boards.
HENDRIX KEY STATISTICS
-Sean Coman led the Warriors with 18 points off the bench, while Preston Smith and Seth Stanely added 14 points each.
-Carl Fitch led the rebounding game for both teams with 13.
UP NEXT
The Tigers return to the hardwood Sunday afternoon with a battle against in-state and conference rival Rhodes. Tip is scheduled for 3 p.m., following the women's matchup.