BREVARD, N.C. - The Brevard College men's basketball team fell inches short of a logic-defying comeback on Wednesday night, falling to Anderson 78-75 in a home South Atlantic Conference matchup that still leaves the Tornados searching for their first win of the season.
The Tornados (0-6, 0-3 SAC) trailed 71-59 with 3:20 to play as Anderson (2-4, 1-2 SAC) threatened to run away with a contest that had been competitive throughout. Alex Moe, however, drained a three-point field goal to spark the comeback attempt that gained momentum 30 seconds later as a Trevon Shaw steal led to a Darius Moose three-point play in transition.
Anderson stretched its lead to eight points on a difficult hook shot on the baseline by Chris Ross, but Moe again provided the answer with an easy bucket in the paint following a crisp entry pass from Jaylon Debardlabon. The teams traded pairs of free throws before Moose cut the Trojans' lead in half with a three-point basket, making the score 75-72 with 28 ticks remaining.
After a Tornados' foul, the Trojans were only able to convert one of their two free throw attempts. Following a Shaw offensive rebound on the opposite end, Moose cut the lead to a single point with a three-point basket from the right wing with six seconds to play. Anderson again led by three points after two free throws, and the game appeared out of reach when the Tornados missed a pair of shots from the charity stripe and sent Anderson's Rakish Taylor to the free throw line with three seconds to play.
Taylor, however, missed the first free throw, and the second attempt was negated on an Anderson lane violation. Brevard triggered the inbounds pass to Brayden Masten at midcourt, who then flipped a quick pass to Shaw streaking down the right sideline. Shaw lofted a potential game-tying three-point attempt in traffic at the buzzer, crumpling to the floor as three Trojans contested the shot. The officials declined to call a foul as the attempt glanced off the backboard, allowing Anderson to escape with the three-point victory.
Despite its loss, the Tornados played their most complete game of the season. Brevard committed just 13 turnovers in the contest and knocked down 45.5 percent of its field goal attempts. The game was characterized by Brevard's unselfish brand of basketball that led to 20 assists on 25 made field goals. Stevie Williams accounted for eight helpers, while Debardlabon added four assists to his game-high four steals, team-high six rebounds, and five points.
Shaw had a career night, notching 29 points on 9-of-16 from the floor, including half of Brevard's 12 three-point field goals. Moose accounted for 22 points, while Moe joined his counterparts in double figures with 11 points, one away from tying his season high.
For Anderson, D.J. McGowan and Nick Jackson poured in 24 and 20 points, respectively, to lead the Trojans. Ross scored 12 off the bench and was the main catalyst in Anderson's 21-4 advantage in bench scoring.
The Tornados effectively held Anderson guard Myson Jones in check. The preseason first team all-conference selection was limited to eight points in 28 minutes of action, the first time this season he has failed to reach double digits in scoring, and was not credited with an assist.
The Trojans threatened to run away with the contest at multiple points during the evening. After Brevard took a 26-19 lead midway through the first half, Anderson went on a 16-2 run before the Tornados closed the first half with six consecutive points to trim the lead to a point.
But Anderson picked up right where they had left off, taking less than four and a half minutes to account for 17 of the first 20 points of the second half and seeing their run balloon to 33-11 dating back to the 8:09 mark of the first half. Brevard did not give up the fight, however, scratching and clawing its way back into contention to set the stage for the game's heart-pounding final three minutes.
Brevard next takes to the court on Sunday afternoon as the Tornados travel to Hickory to face conference foe Lenoir-Rhyne. Tipoff is scheduled for 4:00 p.m.
Featured image courtesy of Tommy Moss.
