Blackburn men’s basketball mounted a comeback against Greenville University on Saturday afternoon, eventually defeating the Panthers by a final score of 100-92.
1st Half: Blackburn opened the scoring early against Greenville. Troy Cole Jr. was unstoppable in the first portion of the game, racking up several layups against Greenville’s high-tempo defense. A team that engages in full-court pressing for the majority of the game, Greenville was not an easy opponent for the Beavers. Chanz Aldridge was able to feed several of his teammates, Cole Jr. included, adding to his assists in the first half. Fouls haunted the Panthers throughout the game, and due to several turnovers from Greenville, the Beavers saw themselves ahead by 23 points with seven minutes left in the first half. However, Greenville began chipping away at the lead, and by the time the halftime buzzer sounded, Greenville was only down by a score of 52-44.
2nd Half: Coming out of halftime, the momentum of the game had clearly shifted. After being up by 23 points, Blackburn began to lose steam, and Greenville began creeping back into the game. The Panthers were finally able to take the lead against the Beavers early in the second half, and extended to their biggest lead of the game, which was by three points with 12:15 left to play in the second half. Blackburn was able to reevaluate their gameplan, and Aldridge, with the help of his teammates, was able to reestablish the lead for the Beavers.
Greenville would not let up, however. The score was tied nine different times during the second half. Cameron Johnson knocked down several floating jumpers during the second half, which ultimately led to the Beavers regaining the lead. As the clock began to wind down in the second half, the Panthers found themselves down 99-92. After one more free throw from the Beavers made the score 100-92, the Panthers simply didn’t have enough time left to attempt to mount a comeback. With the addition of foul trouble for both teams, Greenville was unable to generate any offense in the final moments, and took the loss after an absolutely sensational and hard fought game by both teams.
Blackburn had several players finish with double-digit points, including Eliot Harrison II, Chanz Aldridge, Izayah Talmadge, Cameron Johnson, and the leader in points for the Beavers, Troy Cole Jr., who finished with a total of 22. Cole Jr. also had nine rebounds with three assists. Harrison II collected a double-double, with twelve rebounds in addition to his thirteen points. Blackburn was 41-63 on field goals, 0-1 on three-pointers, and 18-30 on free throws. They had 41 rebounds, 31 assists, and six steals.
Blackburn will host Webster University on Wednesday, January 25th. Tip off is set for 7:30 p.m.