LYNCHBURG, Va. — Lynchburg College used a strong second half to defeat the Averett men's basketball team 94-81 on Saturday afternoon in Turner Gymnasium.
 
Lynchburg (7-4) faced a seven-point deficit at the start of the second period. However, the Hornets went on a 10-2 run over the first three minutes of the half to re-establish the lead on Zack Burnett's layup. Averett (2-9) battled back and retook the lead several minutes later when sophomore Austin DeLucia drilled a 3-pointer to put the Cougars up 53-51. Lynchburg fought back and scored 20 out of the game's next 29 points to establish a nine-point advantage with just over nine minutes remaining. The Cougars answered back with an 8-3 run over the next four minutes to pull within four on a pair of free throws from senior Charles Bryant.
 
From there, the Hornets clamped down on defense and moved the ball inside effectively to establish a double-digit lead in the final few minutes of the game.
 
The Cougars finished with four players in double-digit scoring. Junior James Contreras Jr. led Averett with a career-high 24 points, while Bryant had a solid game, putting up 18. DeLucia and senior Darin Ketner each recorded 12. Bryant's performance leaves him 11 short of 1,000 career points.
 
Averett did a solid job of passing, finishing the contest with 18 dimes. Contreras dished out a career-best six assists, while freshman Jamal Forde chipped in with three.
 
The Cougars used a barrage of 3-pointers in the first half to take a seven-point lead into the break. Averett knocked down eight of their 15 attempts from beyond the arc in the first 20 minutes. Forde drilled his long-range attempted to make it a 14-7 contest five minutes into the game. After Lynchburg fought back and regained the lead, Ketner heated up and made back-to-back 3-pointers to put Averett up by five with just over minutes remaining in the half. Minutes later, DeLucia stepped up and made his 3 to give the Cougars a 43-36 lead at the 1:01 mark. The Cougars recorded a season-high 10 3-pointers on the evening.
 
As it's done all season, Averett performed well under the boards, outrebounding Lynchburg by a tally of 37-36. Bryant finished with 11 rebounds to complete his double-double. Bryant now has 700 career rebounds, making him the second all-time rebounder in the program's history. Contreras and Ketner each pulled in six boards as well.
 
The Cougars return to the court on Jan. 4 when it hosts Greensboro College at 7:30 p.m. in their USA South Conference opener.