Box Score
DANVILLE, Va. — Senior
Justin Pierce scored a career-high 37 points, but it wasn't enough as Averett dropped a non-conference matchup to Roanoke College 97-87 on Saturday afternoon at the Grant Center.
Although Averett (3-5) shot a red-hot 62.1 percent in the first half, the Cougars couldn't keep it going in the second half and only shot 25 percent after the break. Roanoke (5-3), which also shot 60 percent in the first period, continued to shoot above 50 percent in the second half as they pulled away down the stretch. With the game tied at 62-62 several minutes into the second half, the Maroons used an 11-2 run to build a cushion. Averett got within four points twice, but Roanoke held them off the rest of the way.
Roanoke led for most of the first half until a four-point play swung the momentum into Averett's favor. with 4:09 left in the first period, Pierce was fouled as he drained a 3-pointer in the corner, and his ensuing free throw gave the Cougars a 37-36 lead since the opening minutes of the game. It appeared as though Roanoke was going to take a two-point lead into halftime. Averett had other plans. The Cougars inbounded the ball at the far end of the court with 1.3 seconds left, freshman
Trevor West's nearly fullcourt pass found freshman
JaColby Hawkins in the corner and Hawkins drilled the shot at the buzzer to give Averett a 51-50 halftime lead.
Pierce's 37 points are the third highest single-game total in program history, tying him with Demarcus Morrison and John Nixon, who scored 37 points in 1998 and 1993, respectively. Morrison holds the record with 41 points in 1999. The only players to score more points for the Cougars are senior
Marquis Scott, who scored 38 last season at Shenandonah University, and Keith Claiborne, who scored 38 points in 1994.
Pierce, whose previous career high was 29 points, also added 10 rebounds. Scott finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds and freshman
Bradley Robinson had 10 points off the bench.
Roanoke, which shot 55.4 percent from the floor and 58.8 percent (10 for 17) from 3-point range, got 27 points from Julian Ramirez and 21 points off the bench from Andrew Daniels.
Averett opens USA South Conference play on Sunday at 2 p.m. when the Cougars host Methodist University at the Grant Center.
