Box Score
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Averett let its double-digit lead slip to two in the final minutes of the second half, but the Cougars held off Christopher Newport University for a 90-84 victory on Wednesday night. The win gives the Cougars their first ever regular-season sweep of the Captains.
Averett (9-13, 6-4 USA South) led by 18 with 7:26 to play, but Christopher Newport (9-12, 4-5 USA South) used a 10-2 run to chop the Cougars’ advantage down to just four. Averett responded with a pair of free throws by senior
Brandon Malone, but a Conley Taylor 3-pointer cut Averett’s advantage to 86-84 with just over a minute remaining.
Freshman
Marquis Scott got a crucial offensive rebound and was fouled with 30.5 seconds left. He hit one of two free throws to push the Cougars’ lead back to three. At the other end, Xavier Parham missed a 3-pointer and Malone corralled the rebound and was fouled with 19.8 seconds remaining. After making one of two foul shots, Malone forced a turnover at the other end and freshman
Brandon Douglas sealed the game with a pair of free throws.
Douglas’s foul shots capped off a career night in which he scored 26 points, while Malone also tied his career high with 28 points. Malone also had a career-best eight steals.
After falling behind 15-9 early, Averett’s offense found its rhythm. The Cougars turned a six-point deficit into an 11-point lead in less than a five-minute span. Malone made the Captains pay with several wide-open fastbreak layups. Malone scored 20 of his points in the first half as Averett rocketed to a 49-37 halftime lead.
The Cougars shot 62.5 percent in the first half, but the Captains weren’t too far behind at 50 percent from the floor. Christopher Newport’s Taylor nearly matched Malone with 18 points before halftime. He finished with a game-high 35 points.
Averett defeated Christopher Newport 88-72 in their first meeting of the season on Jan. 16 in Danville.
Averett returns to action on Saturday when it travels to face Shenandoah University at 4 p.m.