February 9, 2008

 

                Dayton, TN—Following Wednesday night’s 21 point loss on the road at Virginia Intermont, the Bryan College Lions were struggling to find answers for their poor showing as of late. On a team loaded with talent, the Lions have been unable to put all the pieces together and come away with a win. Bryan had lost 3 straight games, but looked to turn things around as they took the floor Saturday evening against AAC #3, the Milligan College Buffaloes.

                Milligan defeated the Lions by two, 74-72 earlier in the year in Johnson City, and the Lions were seeking revenge, but had their work cut out for them. Milligan gets balanced offensive production, and is led by the post presence of Jeff Barnes, one of the AAC’s leading scorers. Bryan has been led offensively by freshman Charlie Lytle and junior Cody Christopher, but would need a more balanced offensive attack if they were to defeat the Buffaloes.

                The Lions did not shoot the ball particularly well in the first half, making only 37% of their shots from the floor, but battling and staying in a close game with the Buffaloes. At the break, the Buffaloes led Bryan by 5, 37-32. The Lions were outrebounded 30-17, but managed to keep the score close. The game was physical and intense all night, as both teams needed a win badly.

                The Lions shot the ball much better in the second half, hitting nearly 50% from the floor and matching Milligan nearly bucket for bucket as the game continued. Cody Christopher led the Lions with 19 points while Charlie Lytle added 14 points and grabbed 9 rebounds for the Lions. Milligan had 3 players in double figures, led by Barnes and Derrick Nave who had a game-high 21 points to seal the win for the Buffaloes. Bryan hung close with the Buffaloes to the very end, but down the stretch, the first half deficit was too much to overcome.

                Lions Head Coach Don Rekoske on the loss: “We played better tonight, especially in the second half, but we made some key mistakes that hurt us. We didn’t rebound well, and we shot only 3 second half free throws to Milligan’s 16. We have to find a way to get to the line, or keep them from shooting as many free throws as they did. We still have 3 games left, and I think we can still pull something together and make a run in the tournament, but we have to put all aspects of the game together. We’re yet to shoot well, defend well and rebound well in the same game. That is the kind of performance it will take for us to win in this league. We’re talented enough, but it’s a matter of how bad we want to win at this point. We’ve lost 4 straight, but we have a chance to gain some momentum heading into the conference tournament.”