DANVILLE, Va. — Top seed Averett University saw its season come to an end with a heartbreaking 64-62 loss in the final seconds to No. 4 seed Maryville College in Friday's USA South Conference Tournament semifinals at the Grant Center.

Tied at 62-62, an Averett turnover gave Maryville (15-12) the ball with under 35 seconds to play, which allowed the Scots to hold for a final shot. Following a timeout with 9.8 seconds remaining, Maryville's Spencer Shoffner drove through traffic in the lane and got the go-ahead layup to fall with 4.4 seconds to play. Averett (18-9) got the ball down court, but couldn't get off a good look before time expired.

The loss ended the tournament run and a memorable season for Averett, which won the USA South regular season championship.

Up by two at halftime, Maryville extended its lead to as much as six in the opening minutes of the second period. Yet, for the second night in a row, Averett roared back. Junior Trevor West's jumper tied the game at 40-40 at the 14:48 mark, and Averett surged ahead 44-40 moments later on back-to-back baskets by junior Bradley Robinson — the second of which gave him 1,000 points for his career.

Although Maryville fought back to tie the game at 46-46 with 11:15 to go, Averett answered with an 8-2 run capped by Robinson's 3-pointer with less than eight minutes remaining. The Cougars' lead reached as much as seven before the Scots made their final push. Maryville slowly chipped away at Averett's lead, getting it down to one several times. Tanner Torres put the Scots in front 60-59 with a fast-break layup off a turnover with 2:23 to play.

Robinson fired back by draining a 3-pointer with 1:14 remaining to give Averett a 62-60 advantage. Maryville answered on Jaumonee Byrd's jumper in the paint on the Scots' ensuing possession to knot the game. Averett turned the ball over on its next possession, which set up Maryville's eventual game-winning basket.

Maryville advanced to Saturday's USA South championship, which will be against No. 6 seed LaGrange College at 2 p.m. at the Grant Center.

West, who led Averett with 20 points, eight rebounds and six assists, kept the Cougars close in the opening period with 11 first-half points as Maryville stormed ahead by as much as nine midway through the first half. Averett got six consecutive points from Robinson to close the deficit to 24-23 with 6:50 left in the period. The Cougars tied it several times late and took a brief one-point lead before Shoffner drained a 3-pointer just before halftime to give Maryville a 33-31 lead at the break.

Shoffner totaled 15 points while battling foul trouble. Calvin Songster led Maryville with 16 points, while Byrd had 14 points and eight rebounds.

In addition to West's team-high 20 points, Robinson finished with 18 points, while senior Cody Stephens finished his collegiate career with a 12-point performance off the bench.