Brown reaches scoring milestone, but Cougars lose to Christopher Newport

Averett senior Damien Brown scored 12 points to make him only the seventh Cougar to score at least 1,000 career points. Averett, however, lost 88-83 to Christopher Newport University.

Box Score

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Averett's seven-point halftime lead evaporated down the stretch as Christopher Newport University upended the Cougars 88-83 on Saturday at the Freeman Center.

Averett, which led 32-15 at the 8:17 mark, saw its lead dwindle to three in the final minutes of the first half. After taking a 44-37 lead into the break, the Cougars (9-8, 2-2 USA South) allowed two quick baskets by the Captains to start the second half. Still, Averett clung to a lead until a 3-point play by Davon Barton knotted the game at 56-56 with 14:38 to go.

Christopher Newport (10-6, 3-0 USA South) took its first lead moments later on a Theo Baker free throw. Averett regained the 58-57 lead on a Damien Brown jumpshot, but the Captains went on a 10-2 run over the next four minutes to go ahead. Averett rebounded, and a 3-point play by Brown tied the game at 69-69 with 7:02 to play.

Seniors Ryan Frazier and Jonathan Rumley hit back-to-back 3-pointers with a little more than five minutes to play to put Averett back in front 77-74, and another basket by Brown inched the Cougars lead to five with 4:12 remaining. It didn't last. The Captains went on another big run, this time outscoring Averett 12-2, to take an 86-81 lead with less than a minute to play.

Rumley closed the gap to within three points seconds later, but the Cougars missed several opportunities late to get any closer.

Barton led five Captains in double-digit scoring with 26 points.

Rumley and Frazier both finished with 19 points each. Rumley added eight rebounds and five assists, and Justin Parker added 13 points. Brown, meanwhile, finished with 12 points, hitting a milestone in the process. At the 15:20 mark in the first half, Brown hit a free throw for his first point of the game, which gave him 1,000 points for his career. He became only the seventh Cougar in the program's history to score 1,000 career points and the first player to reach that mark under fifth-year head coach Jimmy Allen. Brown's career total is now 1,011, which places his seventh on Averett's all-time scoring list.

For more on Brown's accomplishment, click here.

The Cougars will look to bounce back when they play at Shenandoah on Sunday at 4 p.m.

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