BREVARD, N.C. - A valiant late comeback attempt and a career night from guard Phil Wallace were not enough for the Brevard College men's basketball team to earn its first win of the season on Tuesday night as Brevard fell 66-61 to visiting Tusculum.
The Tornados (0-5, 0-2 SAC) trailed by 15 with 4:42 remaining in the team's conference home opener as a three-point field goal by Tusculum's Zach Davis, who was one of three Pioneers (1-4, 1-2 SAC) to finish in double figures, made the score 61-46 in favor of the visitors. But Brevard would not allow another field goal the rest of the way as the Tornados embarked on a 15-5 run, led by six points from Wallace. In the end, however, it was not enough to overcome the sizable advantage Tusculum had built up through the game's first 35 minutes.
Ironically, a similar stretch in favor of Tusculum late in the first half may have provided the Pioneers' with the game's turning point. A three-pointer by Wallace, who led all scorers with a career-high 25 points, gave Brevard a six-point lead with six minutes to play in the first half. The Tornados' shooting touch left them after the Wallace triple, as an 0-for-10 stretch spanning the rest of the half dropped the team's shooting percentage from a gaudy 42.9 to 29.0.
In contrast, the Pioneers shot 38.5 percent from the field in the first stanza, finishing the half on an 11-2 run to take a 27-24 lead at the break. Tusculum was dominant inside the first half, scoring 16 of its 27 points in the paint before the Tornados' defense clamped down inside and allowed Brevard to claim a 28-26 advantage in the paint for the game.
The teams were relatively even in several statistical categories, with each team scoring eight points off turnovers and Tusculum holding a slim 12-11 advantage on second-chance opportunities. But the Pioneers' 18 bench points made a significant difference in the final tally, as did its 21-13 advantage in free throw attempts.
Brevard also had several statistical highlights beyond Wallace's night. Darius Moose finished with 17 points and seven boards, while Trevon Shaw chipped in with 12 points. Alex Moe dished out four assists, one off of his career high. As a team, Brevard blocked six shots, led by a pair from Moe, and forced 15 Tusculum turnovers.
While Wallace was consistent throughout the contest, scoring 12 points in the first half and 13 in the second stanza, Moose rebounded from a difficult first half to help the Tornados attempt the comeback. The senior forward scored 13 of his 17 points and collected all but one of his seven rebounds in the final 20 minutes of the contest while dishing out a pair of assists and earning a steal without a turnover of his own.
Brevard will take a step outside of regular season play after a short break for Thanksgiving as the Tornados travel to Boiling Springs, North Carolina for a 2:00 p.m. tipoff in an exhibition contest against Division I Gardner-Webb. The regular season will resume on Wednesday, December 4 as Brevard plays host to SAC foe Anderson University at 8:00 p.m.
Featured image courtesy of Tommy Moss.
