MOUNT BERRY, Ga.— Vikings increase win streak to five as they take down SAA opponent, Birmingham-Southern in tonight's matchup.
In an uncharacteristic start for the Vikings, the Berry men's basketball team scared fans during a pack-the-house event in The Cage Center as Birmingham-Southern made a valiant effort to shatter Berry's four game winning streak in a Southern Athletic Association matchup. Chasing the Panthers 11-2 only five minutes into the game, the Vikings were determined to change the narrative. Led by Braxton Benham's 23 points, Berry clipped BSC in a 74-63 decision on Friday night.
Head Coach Mic Hedgepeth spoke on the win saying, "I am proud of our group for gutting out the win tonight. We trailed early but weathered the storm against a talented and well-coached BSC team.
In a really physical game, our defensive activity was key in creating turnovers and transition scores when we didn't have our best collective shooting outing. Several guys stepped up down the stretch and made key plays on both ends."
Jacob Morgan and Drew Winegarden joined Benham as top scorers for the Berry Vikings (8-9, 5-1 SAA) with 19 and 13 points, respectively. Collectively, the team shot 39.4 percent from inside the three-point line while sinking 16-of-20 (80 percent) from the charity stripe.
The Panthers (11-7, 5-2 SAA) set the pace after winning the opening possession, quickly climbing to an unanswered six point run over two minutes into the game. Nine missed shots from all over the floor and four turnovers for the Vikings allowed BSC to climb to a game high nine-point lead of 14-5 with 13:12 left to go in the first. Looking to dispel the first-half nerves, the Vikings settled in, determined to send the Panthers back to Birmingham with an extra loss on their record.
With nine minutes left to go in the first half, Morgan netted the first three of the game for the Vikings. Senior Blake Campbell would not waste the momentum sparked by his teammate, as he sprinted down the court to grab the rebound and assist Winegarden as he sunk a crucial three pointer for the Vikings in a fast break, making the score 20-19 in favor of the Panthers.
A big steal by Benham propelled BC to their first lead of the contest at 21-20 with 7:42 left to go in the first. The teams continued to go back and forth in a nail-biting first half, but the Vikings would end it on top with a 36-33 lead.
In an effort to begin the second half differently, the Vikings attacked first with a three-pointer by Winegarden. BC grew their lead to 45-37, but BSC still craved the dominating feeling they accomplished in the beginning of the first half. The Panthers climbed to a 55-54 lead with 7:28 left in the game, but an electric steal and dunk by Benham sent the Viking crowd into hysterics as they took back the advantage.
The scoring continued to be close until BSC could no longer keep up with the Berry momentum. Down 72-63, the Panthers fouled Morgan in a last-ditch effort, only for him to connect both free throws from the charity stripe. That would be the last time the ball would find the net, as the Vikings beat the Panthers 74-63.
Berry will be back in The Cage Center on Sunday for another SAA matchup against Millsaps College at 3:00 p.m.