NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Mississippi College (10-16, 7-13 Gulf South) fell to Trevecca Nazarene (16-9, 11-8 Gulf South) with a final score of 82-89 on Thursday night at Trojan Fieldhouse. The Choctaws led by three points at halftime, but Trevecca Nazarene outscored them by 10 points in the second half to secure the victory.
The game commenced with Mississippi College taking an early lead as
Judah Land hit a jumper assisted by
Phil Nelson at the 19:32 mark. Trevecca Nazarene quickly responded with a three-pointer from Jax Abernathy, assisted by Fred Bailey. MC maintained its edge, bolstered by a scoring run that included a three-pointer by
Avaughn Johnson at 15:57, extending its lead to 10-8. Trevecca Nazarene closed the gap late in the half, punctuated by a fast-break three-pointer from Cade Capps with 19 seconds remaining, bringing the score to 38-35 in favor of The Blue and Gold at the end of the first half.
Johnson opened the second half with a three-pointer for the Choctaws, assisted by
DeMarcus Powe, at 19:39 to gain an early advantage. Trevecca Nazarene responded with a quick 7-0 run, highlighted by Brett Wright's three-pointer and Abernathy's layup and three, shifting the lead in its favor. Despite a strong showing from Johnson, who added another three-pointer at 5:43 to narrow the gap, Trevecca Nazarene's offense maintained control. Bailey's consistent scoring, including a crucial layup at 3:34, helped secure Trevecca Nazarene's 89-82 victory as they outscored MC 54-44 in the second half.
Mississippi Col. Top Performers
Avaughn Johnson
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- 26 points
- 9/13 field goals made
- 5/7 three-pointers made
- 7 rebounds
Phil Nelson
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- 21 points
- 7/13 field goals made
- 6/6 free throws made
- 6 assists
Josh Holman
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- 11 points
- 3/4 free throws made
- 4 rebounds
- 2 steals
DeMarcus Powe
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- 8 points
- 2/7 three-pointers made
- 6 rebounds
- 4 assists
Judah Land
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- 9 points
- 3/3 field goals made
- 5 rebounds
Looking ahead, the Blue and Gold will travel to take on Lee on Saturday, Feb. 21. The game will tip off at 4 p.m. in Cleveland, Tennessee.