The Bryan College men's basketball team traveled to Waleska, Ga., to take on the Eagles in a conference game and wound up with a one-point loss.
The two teams swapped the lead five times in the first half. The Lions went into the break trailing 43-39. Once again, the teams traded the lead five times in the second half. The Lions hit two free throws with 2:18 remaining to tie the game at 81, where it would remain until the final second. The Bryan defense stole the ball with 35 seconds remaining. They held the ball until the final second and then took a shot. The shot was off target, and the Lions were called for a foul on the rebound with one second remaining on the clock. The Eagles hit their first free throw, missed the second, and grabbed the rebound to win the game 82-81.
The Bryan men are now 3-7 overall and 2-2 in the AAC.
Brandon Cole led the Lions with 29 points and 11 rebounds. Robert Troino finished with 26 points, including 4 three-pointers. Jeff Long recorded 13 points and 4 assists. Caleb Parson had a team high 5 assists. Bryan Landers had 6 rebounds.
Bryan shot 52.5% from the floor for the game, while Reinhardt shot 43.1%. Bryan lost the battle on the boards by 4 and lost the turnover battle by 2.
The Lions play again on Friday at home against Southern Wesleyan University. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m.
Also on Wednesday, the Bryan College women's basketball team traveled to Reinhardt University and took a come-back win. The Lions trailed by as many as 10 points in the first half. Bryan closed the half on a 9-0 run and went into the break behind 24-23. The two teams swapped the lead for the first ten minutes of the second half. The Lions then went on a 15-0 run to take control of the game. Bryan won by a final score of 63-51.
The Lions are now 7-3 overall and 4-0 in the AAC.
Taylor Neuharth led the Lions with a career high 18 points as she went 6-for-10 from beyond the arc. Jenna Ray finished with 16 points and a team high 7 rebounds. Keila Formont recorded 13 points and 10 assists, tying her career high in assists. Kristin Lane had 8 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 steals. Kelsey Brooks added 6 points and 3 steals.
The Lions shot 39.2% from the floor for the game, while the Eagles shot 36.2%. Both teams had 35 rebounds. Bryan had one less turnover than Reinhardt.
The Lions play again on Saturday in a conference game at Columbia College. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m.