Buena Vista, VA - The Southern Virginia University men's basketball team used a big offensive day to defeat their crosstown rival Washington and Lee, 97-88, and extend their winning streak to four games.

The Knights had the hot hand from beyond the arc in the first ten minutes to assemble their best shooting stretch of the young season. Collin Griffith connected on four three-pointers, and Eli Ballstaedt added two more in seconds as Southern Virginia led by as many as 24 points in the opening half. 

The Knights' frontcourt found themselves in foul trouble, but the Generals struggled to take advantage, making only 6 of their first 13 attempts from the free-throw line.

Tillman Johnson's efficiency from the mid-range also gave the Generals fits by converting on his first few shots of the contest. While the Knights dominated most of the first half,  Washington and Lee began to find their stroke from beyond the arc and eventually cut the deficit to single digits.

By the end of the opening frame, the Knights managed to hold their double-digit advantage and took a 49-38 lead into the locker room.

In the second half, Tyler Kartchner made his presence known in the paint by making several key layups to keep his team in control. The teams continued to trade buckets with the Generals unable to put much of a dent into the Knights' lead. With under three minutes to go, both teams were shooting better than fifty percent from the floor.

After a couple of trips to the free throw line and a turnover by the Knights, Washington and Lee found themselves down just six points with under a minute and a half to go. With the pressure building, DJ Green went coast to coast to lay one in while being fouled. Green completed the clutch three-point play to extend the lead to 94-85.

Southern Virginia's defense managed to fend off the Generals in their next two possessions to solidify the victory, their second over the Generals in their last four tries. Eli Ballstaedt led the way with 22 points, his highest scoring output of the season, while Tillman Johnson was excellent all around the court, leading his team with eight rebounds and three steals.

The Knights will take a week off from game action for the Thanksgiving holiday before returning to the court in upstate Virginia to face Mary Washington. The game is slated for Tuesday, December 3rd, at 7:30 PM.

For the most up-to-date information and details on the team, visit knightathletics.com and follow @knight_hoops on Instagram.