BRIDGEWATER, Va. — Averett University men's basketball rallied to take the lead in the second half, but Bridgewater College held the Cougars off late for a 72-53 win Saturday in Old Dominion Athletic Conference play.
 
Down six at halftime, Averett (7-9, 2-5 ODAC) opened with 8-0 run to take a 34-32 lead thanks to sophomore Jamison Graves' 3-pointer, freshman Mason Mitchell's floater and freshman Jackson Sellars' 3-pointer, forcing Bridgewater to call timeout less than two minutes into the second period. Averett's advantage grew to 38-34 moments later, but the Eagles used a 7-0 spurt to get back in front 45-40. Bridgewater's 50-47 lead was extended to 60-47 with a 10-0 run with 6:01 to play. Although Averett remained within striking distance, the Cougars managed just four made free throws over the final five minutes as the Eagles pulled away late.

The loss snapped a two-game win streak for Averett, which got 19 points and a career-high 10 rebounds from Sellars and 17 points from Graves. Redshirt freshman Timayahs Bracey finished with nine points off the bench for the Cougars, who were without their second-leading scorer Bryce Shaw.

Bridgewater, which shot nearly 50 percent from the floor, raced out to a 9-2 lead in the opening minutes and led by as many as 15 before Averett began chipping away late in the first half. A 3-pointer by Bracey with 4:58 remaining in the half sparked a 9-2 run by Averett to get back within 30-22 with 2:26 to go in the first, and the Cougars got jumpers from Bracey and sophomore Terrell Fitzgerald in the final 40 seconds to get Averett within 32-26 at halftime.

Averett returns home Wednesday to play the University of Lynchburg.


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