Buena Vista, VA - The Southern Virginia University men's basketball team delivered another spectacle on Saturday night, pulling away in the final minute to defeat Randolph College, 83-73.

With both teams owning identical records of 5-2 heading into Knight Arena, a fast-paced and physical two halves were anticipated. Strong team defense and several three-pointers propelled the Knights to an early lead. Then, after a putback on the offensive end by Tyler Kartchner, they snatched the momentum from the Wildcats with a 28-21 lead.

Randolph, coming off of a single-digit loss to a nationally ranked opponent, fought back and pulled to within two with under a minute to play. However, a layup from DJ Green gave the Knights a 35-31 advantage heading into the locker room.

In an attempt to take advantage of their home crowd one more time before the end of the semester, the team came out firing in the second half. A three from Eli Ballstaedt and a solo jam from Tyler Kartchner sparked the Knights to a 16-3 run. Their defense was also key, holding Randolph under thirty percent from the field with just fifteen minutes to play.

As they've often done this season, the Wildcats looked to stage a second-half comeback. Kartchner picked up three quick fouls for the Knights, which gave the visitors a slight boost. They began knocking down shots and trimmed the deficit back to single digits.

Southern Virginia's offense also did not come as easily. With just over six minutes to play, Randolph took the lead, 63-61, forcing the Knights to stage a come-from-behind victory of their own.

With his team needing a bucket, Eli Ballstaedt took control of the game by scoring five points to put the Knights back in front. DJ Green also came up big in the clutch, bullying his way to the basket for two layups in the final minute.

Green and Ballstaedt led the Knights in scoring with 22 and 20 points, respectively. The Knights also held a slight edge in rebounding, 39-37. The team will return to the court for a two-game road trip in Georgia. They face Oglethorpe College in Atlanta on Wednesday, December 18th, at 6:00 PM.

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