DANVILLE, Va. — The Averett University men's basketball team got a defensive stop in the final seconds to hold off LaGrange College for an exciting 89-87 conference win on Sunday afternoon in the Grant Center.
                          
Averett (10-10, 5-7 USA South) led by seven with 2:53 to play, but LaGrange (12-8, 7-8 USA South) didn't go away. The Panthers' 7-0 run tied the game with a little more than a minute to play, setting up a thrilling finish.
 
With 29.7 seconds to play, senior James Contreras Jr. drained a 3-pointer to give the Cougars an 87-84 lead. Following a timeout, LaGrange responded with a 3-pointer of its own by Julian Cameron to tie the game, 87-87, with 13.1 seconds remaining. On the ensuing play, Contreras was fouled as he brought the ball up the court, sending him to the foul line with 8.8 seconds left. Contreras made both free throws, which put the Cougars ahead by two.
 
LaGrange had one final chance, but the Cougars' defense denied the Panthers, who didn't get a shot up before time expired.
 
Averett got off to a good start in the first half as the Cougars opened with and 8-2 lead before LaGrange settled in and surged ahead 18-11. For the rest of the half, Averett stayed within striking distance and briefly went ahead 37-36 just before the half thanks to an 8-0 run sparked by a pair of 3-pointers by junior T.J. McAllister. LaGrange led held onto a 41-39 advantage at the break thanks to a made jumper at the buzzer.
 
At the start of the second half, senior Darin Ketner made a pair of baskets to give Averett the lead, and the Cougars had the advantage for a good portion of the period. LaGrange used an 8-0 spurt to gain a 68-65 lead with 9:26 to play, but McAllister answered with a key 3-pointer at the other end.
 
McAllister hit a number of key shots as he finished with a career-high 18 points, including 4-for-4 shooting from beyond the arc.
 
A 14-5 run by Averett over a five-minute span helped the Cougars build a seven-point cushion before LaGrange made its final run to tie the game late.
 
Contreras' clutch shots late helped him finish with a game-high 28 points. Ketner added 14 points and 10 rebounds. Averett also got 13 points from junior Jalen Burnett and seven points from freshman Will Shumate.
 
LaGrange had four players finish in the double digits with Jamison McCray leading the way with 22 points for the Panthers, who shot 56.7 percent.
 
Averett travels to play Greensboro College on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.