Last-second basket lifts Bluefield College past Eagles, 80-78
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. — Bluefield College forward Byron Carpenter sank a turnaround jumper in the lane with one second remaining to lift the Rams to an 80-78 victory over the Carson-Newman men's basketball team on Wednesday night at Holt Fieldhouse.
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. — Bluefield College forward Byron Carpenter sank a turnaround jumper in the lane with one second remaining to lift the Rams to an 80-78 victory over the Carson-Newman men's basketball team on Wednesday night at Holt Fieldhouse.
With the loss, the Eagles fall to 3-7 on the season. Bluefield College improves to 4-7 overall.
C-N led by eight points with 5:33 remaining after Bradley Tumer (Mt. Dora, Fla.) converted a 3-point play to give the Eagles a 72-64 lead. However, the Rams closed out the contest on a 16-6 run to escape with the win.
The Eagles shot 42.3 percent (30-of-71) from the floor but were plagued by a poor night at the free-throw line, making just 10-of-20 attempts. Bluefield College sank 50.9 percent (28-of-55) of its shots, including an 8-of-16 night from behind the arc.
Junior guard Antonio Sullivan (Louisville, Ky.) paced the Eagles with 19 points, while Ishmael Sanders (Cleveland, Tenn.) netted 17 and Tumer added 11 points, five assists and four steals.
Carpenter fired in a game-high 25 points and pulled down 15 rebounds to lead the Rams, while Melvin Henderson pitched in 12 points in the win.
The Eagles led by as many as seven points in the first half after a tip-in by Kevin Hare (Lexington, S.C.) gave C-N a 24-17 advantage with 6:20 left.
But Bluefield College went on a 24-10 run to close out the half capped off by a 3-pointer by Henderson that gave the Rams a 41-34 lead heading into the locker room.
Bluefield College pushed its lead to 10 points early in the second half on a 3-pointer by Rob Wright, but the Eagles answered with a 16-2 run to take a 54-50 lead.
The teams then played through three ties before C-N took its biggest lead of the contest, 72-64, on Tumer's 3-point play at the 5:33 mark. Bluefield College then responded with its decisive 16-6 run to close out the game.
The Eagles return to action on Jan. 5 at Brevard College. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m.
