BATESVILLE, Ark. -
Trenton Bell scored 20 points,
John Paul Morgan added 14,
Sando Hill scored 12 and
Nikola SaSaroga had 10 points to lead Lyon College in a 72-64 American Midwest Conference loss at Becknell Gymnasium to the Columbia Cougars.
The Scots (2-3, 0-2) never led in the game. They had six points from the paint, 10 off of Columbia turnovers, 13 second chance points and eight points off the bench.Â
Israel Palmer had five points and
Isaac Ragland made a three-pointer for the production from the Lyon College subs.
Hill and Bell both hit early shots to tie the game at 4-4. Bell and Morgan scored and Bell added a free throw to get the Scots to within one point, 10-9. Bell made a three-pointer, but the Cougars went on a short run to go up 20-12 with 7:15 to go in the first half. It was 22-12 when SaSaroga scored inside, SaSarogra added two free throws and Morgan scored, but Columbia went back up by nine points. Hill knocked down a three-pointer, then completed a three-point play to close the gap to three points. After the Cougars scored the next four points, Bell hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to cut the lead to four points.
SaSaroga started the scoring for the Scots in the second half and Bell added two free throws to make it a two-point game, 33-31. SaSaroga tied it with a jumper with 16:48 to left. After Columbia regain the lead, Bell hit a short-range shot to tie the game again. The Cougars scored eight straight points to open up a lead, but Palmer completed a three-point play for Lyon College. Columbia went on a 12-0 run to lead 52-38 with 11:59 to play.
Morgan scored inside, Hill put in a basket and Bell made a three-pointer to cut the lead to seven points. Minutes later, scores from Morgan and SaSaroga made it a five-point contest, 54-49 with six-and-a-half minutes to go. Morgan scored to keep the game at five points with just over four minutes to play, but the Cougars moved out to a 13-point lead. Palmer and Hill scored, but the Scots could only get as close as seven points in the last three minutes.
