MISENHEIMER, N.C. — Averett University men's basketball got a put-back layup from sophomore Jason Sellars II with 1.7 seconds remaining as the Cougars held off a wild comeback by Pfeiffer University for an 83-81 conference victory on Tuesday night. The Averett win clinched the USA South Conference's East Division regular season crown for the Cougars with two games remaining.

The victory didn't come easy for the Cougars, despite arguably playing its best half of the season and holding a 52-29 lead at the half after shooting 67.6 percent as a team in the opening period. Averett (14-9, 11-1 USA South) watched as Pfeiffer (11-9, 8-4 USA South) overcame a 23-point deficit in the second half to take the lead in the final minutes.

Playing in a tough road environment, the Cougars could have easily folded after Pfeiffer stole all the momentum down the stretch, tying the game and taking the lead on an and-one layup by Jerome Savoy with 2:47 to play. The Falcons' lead grew to 77-74 following two Dorian Miles free throws with 2:13 left.

"We knew what kind of game this was going to be from the start," Averett junior Corey Baldwin said. "Yes, we knew we had a great first half but we knew they wouldn't lay down. Coach talked about how their seniors were just going to put their heads down and start attacking us."

With just under two minutes remaining, junior Jalen Rowell drained a 3-pointer to tie the game at 77-77, but Savoy put Pfeiffer back in front with two free throws at the other end. Sellars answered for the Cougars by spinning a layup off the glass and in with 1:12 to play. Averett's defense got a stop at the other end, and Rowell drilled a baseline jumper to put Averett back in front, 81-79, with 32 seconds to play. Yet, Pfeiffer responded with a tying layup at the other end.

With the game knotted 81-81, Averett set up for the last shot. Sophomore Jordan Lewis attempted a step-back 3-pointer that missed right but hit off the glass and into the hands of Sellars, who boxed out his defender and put a layup off the glass and in with 1.7 seconds to play. Pfeiffer's heave at the buzzer was errant, and the Cougars celebrated their 11th consecutive conference win and 12th victory overall in their last 13 games.

"I'm really proud of how we stayed mentally tough down the stretch," Averett head coach David Doino said. "I don't think we made one good run in the second half and they made a tremendous run at us with tremendous momentum. Jalen hit a big 3-pointer to tie it up and I thought we started to relax at that point and we were able to make some plays down the stretch. I told our guys that was just mental toughness down the stretch. We were able to hold it together and find a way, and good teams find a way to win."

Averett opened the game on fire, racing to a 14-3 advantage in less than four minutes. The dominate first half ended with Lewis hitting a layup in the final seconds and junior Raja Milton stealing the inbounds pass and hitting a jumper as time expired to give the Cougars a 23-point lead at halftime.

"I thought we came out extremely focus in the first half and with a ton of energy," Doino said. "We really needed that first half because without that first half, I don't know that we would have survived that run that they made in the first half."
 
Four Averett players scored in double figures, with Rowell and Lewis leading the way with 18 points each — which was a career-high for Lewis. Sellars matched his career-high with 17 points and Baldwin added 13 points and a team-high eight rebounds for the Cougars, who finished the game shooting 52.1 percent from the floor.

Tuesday's conference-clinching victory on Pfeiffer's home floor was particularly sweet for Averett's returners, who lost last year's USA South East Division finals 72-70 on the same floor.

"This one was definitely personal for us returners," Baldwin said.

The win gave Averett its ninth conference title of any kind in program history, and it was the fourth regular season crown for the Cougars under Doino, who is in his eighth season.

"It's a testament to our guys and how hard they work and how bought in they are to each other in the day-in and day-out work you have put in to earn wins," Doino said. "I'm proud of them. But at the end of the day, we still have two games left and then the postseason, so we've got to continue to get better right now."
 
 Averett hosts Southern Virginia University on Thursday before ending the regular season at home on Saturday with Methodist University. The Cougars are guaranteed to host a USA South Tournament quarterfinals matchup on Tuesday, Feb. 22.
 
 
 
 
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