Senior forward Kyle Brown of the LaGrange College men's basketball team tied a career-high with 20 points, as four Panthers scored in double figures during an 88-81 loss to Maryville Saturday afternoon in Mariotti Gym.
"We did not shoot well from the 3-point line or free-throw line and gave up too many offensive rebounds," said LaGrange College men's basketball head coach Kendal Wallace. "We got into foul trouble in the first half and that always hurts us. I was proud of how we battled back late in the game. We did not close out the regular season like we wanted to. We have got to bounce back and win two games now. Everyone is 0-0 and we need to finish the season, 2-0."
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The Panthers (7-3) will be the No. 2 seed in the 2021 USA South West Division Tournament and will host third-seeded Piedmont in the first round Wednesday in Mariotti. Game time is to be announced. LC and Piedmont split the regular-season series. The Panthers won at home, 67-62, and the Lions emerged victorious, 74-72, in Demorest, Georgia.
The Scots (8-2) earned the top seed and will welcome fourth-seeded Covenant to Maryville, Tennessee, on Wednesday. The winners of the two first-round games will meet for the divisional championship Saturday, with the higher seed hosting.
"We have to bounce back after this game," said senior forward Lincoln Anderson. "We know who we are as a team and know what we are capable of. This game allowed us to see where we can sharpen ourselves going into the playoffs. I have full confidence in my team playing the hardest and best basketball in the playoffs."
Brown shot 8 of 13 from the floor and did a superb job getting into the paint and finishing among Maryville's elite frontcourt players. Anderson (14 points) was also aggressive in the post, shooting 5 of 6 from the field.
Senior guard Julian Cameron scored a game-high 23 points and put continuous pressure on the Scots' interior defense. He connected on 10 of 11 free throws. Senior guard Ronald Youngblood also reached double digits with 16 points.
Maryville shot 54.7% from the field (35 of 64) and relied on a balanced attack with four players scoring 12 or more points. Myles Rasnick led the visitors with 19 points, shooting 8 of 11 from the field.
FIRST-HALF HIGHLIGHTS:
Junior guard Bershard Edwards drew his defender out to the 3-point line, and then calmly stepped inside the arc and buried a left-elbow jumper with 13:15 left in the first half, giving LC an 11-8 advantage.
The Panthers were determined to attack the hoop midway through the half. Anderson put LC back in front, 14-13, with a finish in the paint. A little more than one minute later, Brown made an aggressive drive down the right baseline and converted a layup in traffic.
A jumper by Rasnick gave Maryville a 41-30 lead with 1:36 left. With 51 seconds remaining, Brown finished an old-fashioned 3-point play, trimming the deficit down to eight. The Scots took a 43-33 lead into halftime.
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SECOND-HALF HIGHLIGHTS:
The Panthers came out strong in the opening 1:05, scoring the first six points. Brown finished two layups and Cameron knocked down a pair of free throws.
Maryville built its largest lead at 19 twice in the second half. LC was staring at an 81-62 deficit with 4:06 on the clock, but the Panthers answered with 10 straight points. A layup by Cameron cut the Scots' advantage to 81-72 with 2:31 showing.
With 2:07 remaining, Brown made a great defensive rotation and blocked a driving layup attempt by Daryl Rice. A dunk by Youngblood brought the hosts to within seven in the final 10 seconds.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
Cameron finished with a game-high three steals, while Anderson, Edwards and Brown recorded two apiece.
The Panthers held a 44-38 advantage in points in the paint and a 19-13 lead in second-chance points. LC led the points-off-turnovers category, 25-20.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:
For the third-straight season, LC and Maryville split the two-game, regular-season series. The road team has emerged victorious in the last four games.
The Panthers defeated Maryville on its home court, 88-76, on Thursday.
UP NEXT:
The second-seeded Panthers will play third-seeded Piedmont Wednesday during the first round of the 2021 USA South West Division Tournament in Mariotti. Game time is to be determined.
Assistant Sports Information Director Trevor Wenners can be reached at twenners@lagrange.edu.
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