BUENA VISTA, Va. – The Southern Virginia University Men's Basketball team (11-10. 4-6) suffered a heartbreaking defeat Saturday afternoon at the hands of visiting Brevard College (7-14, 3-7), 71-68.
Head Coach
Adam Wardenburg could not have hoped for a better start to the contest, with his team scoring the game's first 12 points and holding Brevard scoreless for five-plus minutes.
Koa Baker started the scoring, tallying the Knight's first four points. Then,
Shaun Kenedy would add eight points off two jumpers, a three-pointer, and a free throw. The pair of freshmen would continue to dominate on the offensive end throughout the match.
The Tornados would fight back into the contest by getting to the basket, with eight of their first 12 points coming from inside the paint. The visiting team also clamped down on the other end, forcing the Knights to fail on eight of their next nine field goal attempts and causing two turnovers. The excellent spell by the Tornados would cut the deficit to just three, 15-12.
Over the next five-plus minutes, the teams would trade baskets until Southern Virginia received a boost off its bench in the form of
Canyon Carlson. The freshman forward pulled down an important defensive rebound, added an assist on a Kenedy three-pointer, and knocked down two free throws while playing solid defense. Carlson's pair of points from the charity stripe pushed the lead to nine points just before the under-four media timeout.
Brevard looked to cut into the Southern Virginia advantage before halftime, scoring two quick buckets following the timeout. Still, Kenedy would score back-to-back baskets inside the paint to restore the nine-point lead. Then, however, the Tornados would add a pair of layups to make it a five-point game as the teams went to their respective locker rooms.
Kenedy was outstanding in the opening stanza, leading all scorers with 17 points.
After not making a single shot from beyond the arc in the first half (0-11), the Tonrados could not miss during the second 20 minutes. After failing on its first two attempts, Brevard would drain four threes in a row to take a four-point lead, 39-35. Although the Tornados focused on getting the ball inside over the next 10-plus minutes, they would still convert their next three attempts from downtown, making seven in a row before finally missing with just under three minutes remaining in the game.
Despite only making one three-pointer in the second half, the Knights would claw their way back into the contest on the back of Baker. The Eagle Mountain, Utah, native would bring everyone in Knight Arena to their feet with an electric dunk. Baker received a pass on the wing, drove baseline past his defender, and went up for a two-hand jam right in front of the Southern Virginia bench that went berserk. The Tornados would turn the ball over the next time down the court, and Baker would add another two points to cut the deficit to four, forcing a timeout from Head Coach Lee Burgess.
Following the break, Baker would add a pair of free throws and another bucket inside the paint to tie the game and cap off a 10-0 run by the freshman. The next time down the court, fellow freshman Kenedy would give the Knights the lead with just under eight minutes of play.
Southern Virginia, however, would go cold, being held scoreless for the next four-plus minutes while its opponent would score seven straight points to retake control of the contest. Back-to-back layups from Baker and Kenedy would reignite the home crowd and cut the deficit to two with just over two minutes to play.
Brevard would answer, with Jadon Carnes cutting to the basket and converting an open layup to give his team a two-possession lead. Both teams then missed their next two field goal attempts, leaving the door open for a late Southern Virginia comeback.
Jamarcus Robertson knocked down a shot from beyond the arc to make it a one-point game with 29 seconds left.
Following a Southern Virginia timeout, Brevard's Quincy Carter was sent to the line after being fouled. Carter calmly knocked down both free throws despite the commotion from the crowd.
With 12 seconds remaining on the clock, the Knights looked to get the ball to
Dane Ibsen, but the play was well-defended by the Tornados, forcing Kenedy to improvise and create space to get off a shot. The freshman guard did just that, but the attempt to force overtime fell short, and the Tornados walked away with a 71-68 triumph.
Kenedy followed up his outstanding first half with 10 more points in the second half to equal a game-high 27 points. Baker's 21 points in the second stanza boosted him to a new career-high 25 points. Robertson also had a solid performance, tallying eight points and eight rebounds.
The Knights will now prepare for a critical week of conference matches, beginning Tuesday, Feb. 7, on the road at Mary Baldwin.
To keep up with the game and for all the most up-to-date information regarding Southern Virginia University men's basketball, visit knightathletics.com and follow @knight_hoops on Instagram.
