ROME, Ga. (Jan. 6, 2017) – The Sewanee men's basketball team improved to 5-0 in games decided by five points or less this season, as the Tigers defeated Southern Athletic Association (SAA) rival Berry, 60-58, Friday, inside the Cage Center.
In fact, this is the second time this week that the Tigers won a game by a single possession after Sewanee topped Piedmont 85-83 on the road Tuesday in double overtime.
In a game that featured 12 ties and six lead changes, Sewanee led by one, 31-30, at halftime.
In the second half, neither team led by more than five points. Tied 44-44, Brody Stone hit a jumper with 11:05 left which gave Sewanee the lead back. The score remained tight down the stretch.
After a free throw by Matthew Lee with 4:14 to go, Berry answered back by scoring four of the next six points. A Nick Marder free throw pushed the Vikings in front by one, 56-55, with 2:13 remaining.
Sewanee answered back when Clay Born and Leo Born scored for the Tigers with less than a minute to play. That gave Sewanee a two-point advantage, 59-57, with 26 seconds left.
Caleb Johnson went to the free throw line for Berry with two seconds with a chance to tie or even take the lead for the Vikings. However, Johnson hit only the first attempt before Tanner Spalding missed a close shot at the buzzer.
Overall, Leo Born led Sewanee (8-5, 1-1 SAA) with 13 points and eight rebounds. Stone added 12 points while Clay Born pitched in 10 points and nine boards.
Berry did not have a player score in double figures while the Vikings shot 37.3 percent from the floor.
Sewanee quickly returns to action with a 3:00 p.m. (EST) contest at Oglethorpe, Sunday.
For more information on Sewanee Athletics, please visit www.SewaneeTigers.com. You can also check the Tigers out on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.