JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. — Junior guard Antonio Sullivan (Louisville, Ky.) made a layup with two seconds remaining in overtime to lift the Carson-Newman men's basketball team to a thrilling 87-85 victory over rival Maryville College on Wednesday night in Holt Fieldhouse.
Sullivan, who had four points in the extra period, finished the night with 16 points to help the Eagles improve to 2-4. Maryville falls to 2-4 on the season.
"Wins have been hard to come by," C-N head coach Chuck Benson said. "We've played some quality opponents, and I think our guys have had some issues with confidence. We really challenged them tonight to come out and compete and have a good time with it, and they responded."
C-N came close to winning in regulation, as junior guard Bradley Tumer (Mt. Dora, Fla.) streaked down the lane for a layup with a second left, but Tumer was called for a double dribble to send the contest into overtime.
Tumer poured in 21 points and had six steals for the Eagles, while junior forward John Holleman (Petersburg, Va.) tossed in 25 points and pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds. Kevin Hare (Lexington, S.C.) added nine points, and forward Brandon Evans (Salem, Va.) grabbed eight rebounds and blocked six shots in the win.
Eryk Watson fired in a game-high 27 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead Maryville, while Maverick Willett (17), Donald Rucker (15) and Milton Stanley (13) also scored in double figures for the Scots.
The Eagles shot 46.8 percent (29-of-62) from the floor for the game, while the Scots scored at a 38.2 percent clip (29-of-76).
The teams battled back and forth in the first half through seven ties and 16 lead changes. Stanley knocked down a jumper with 32 seconds left to give the Scots a 38-37 lead, but Holleman sank a layup at the buzzer to give C-N a 39-38 advantage heading into the locker room.
Maryville tied the game at 50-50 early in the second half, but C-N settled down and went on a 10-2 run to claim a 60-52 lead on a made free throw by Sullivan.
However, the Scots scrapped back with an 18-5 run to take a 70-65 lead with 2:37 left. Hare later converted a three-point play to tie the game at 72-72 with 44 seconds on the clock, sending the contest into the extra period.
After three ties and four lead changes in overtime, Chris Queen's putback with 50 seconds remaining seemed to be enough for a second overtime, but Sullivan broke down Maryville's defense at the other end for the winning basket.
The Eagles return to action on Saturday as they open South Atlantic Conference play at Catawba. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m. in Salisbury, N.C.
