Danville, VA – The Southern Virginia University men's basketball team opened their season on the road, falling 70-79 to Averett University after a second-half comeback by the Cougars.

The Knights came out strong, building an explosive 44-25 lead in the first half. The offense was paced by Eli Ballstaedt, who scored 18 points, and Tillman Johnson, who contributed 9. Southern Virginia looked poised to capture another win over Averett, having defeated the Cougars 77-70 in last season's opener.

However, the momentum shifted drastically in the second half. Averett came out firing, cutting a 16-point deficit to just three points within 13 minutes. The Knights struggled offensively, going 2-for-8 to start the second half, and were hindered by turnovers, committing 16 to Averett's 8, which allowed the Cougars to close the gap.

With 2:09 remaining, a three-pointer put Averett in the lead for the first time in the game. The Knights' offense stalled, managing only a free throw and layup from Ballstaedt in the final seven minutes. Averett capitalized on a Southern Virginia turnovers, stretching their lead to six points with a minute left and sealing the win with a 51-26 second-half scoring surge.

Eli Ballstaedt led the Knights with 22 points and recorded a double-double with 10 rebounds. Tillman Johnson added 21 points, but it wasn't enough to counter Averett's second-half comeback.

Southern Virginia will look to bounce back when they travel to Bridgewater, VA, for the Bridgewater Tournament, where they'll face Eastern Mennonite on Friday, November 15th, at 8:00 PM.

For all the most up-to-date information regarding Southern Virginia University men's basketball, visit knightathletics.com and follow @knight_hoops on Instagram.