Box Score The Maryville College men's basketball program used a JR Sanders jumper in the key and a pair of Kordell Kah free throws to preserve a thrilling come-from-behind conference road challenge victory over Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Alabama by the score of 72-70 on Saturday evening.
Huntingdon shot a torrid 51-percent from the floor in the first half while also sinking 10-of-10 free throws to take a 40-36 advantage into the halftime. Maryville kept pace with Kevin Chong's 15 points on 6-of 10 shooting while Felix Uadiale added eight points in the paint.
The Scots went on a 14-7 run to begin the second half culminating with a Sanders jumper to give MC a 50-47 lead.
Key baskets by Donnie Jackson, Uadiale, Cam Gwynn, and Kah, combined with a very active and smothering defense, allowed the Scots to post a 61-53 advantage.
As the Hawks chipped away from the Scots' lead, key buckets by Brice Martin, Sanders, and Chong secured a 66-59 lead going into the final five minutes.
Huntingdon went on a 6-2 late run before being thwarted by a key defensive stop, a defensive rebound, and a forced turnover, Sanders then hit his eighth and final point with a jumper in the key with 37-seconds remaining. The Scots held their hosts to only a 33-percent shooting effort in the closing period to preserve the victory.
Huntingdon (5-7, 2-3 USA South) was led by James Harris's 16 points. Aaron Washington chipped in 14 points off the bench while Damien Madison and Ceaunte Zachary added 12 and 10 points respectively.
Maryville (2-9, 1-3 USA South) earned the hard-fought league win with Kevin Chong dropping 20 points and 10 rebounds for a double-double effort. Chong was 8-for-15 from the floor while sinking four three-pointers. Brice Martin added 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting while Felix Uadiale posted 13 points in the paint with a 6-for-9 shooting effort. JR Sanders tossed in eight points while dishing out six assists.
The Scots will take their two-game winning streak to the Cooper Athletic Center next weekend. MC will host Averett University on Saturday, January 11 at 2:00 p.m. before Greensboro comes to Randy Lambert Court on Sunday with a 2:00 p.m. scheduled tip-off.
