ROME, Ga. - For the second time in as many games, Berry's late comeback bid for just short, as Maryville handed the Vikings a 62-59 loss at the Cage Center Wednesday.

Maryville took control of the game early in the first half, stretching its lead to 30-15 when Eryk Watson scored on a layup with 5:23 remaining in the half, finishing off what had become a 17-3 Scots run. 

But Berry would close the half with 9-2 run to pull to within eight at the intermission.

The Vikings sustained their run for the first four-and-a-half minutes of the second half, finishing off a stretch of nearly 10 minutes in which they outscored Maryville 20-4 when Cass LeBlanc nailed a 3-pointer to give Berry 35-34 lead with 15:35 left to play.

It was reminiscent of Berry's comeback bid just two days before at rival Shorter, when the Vikings cut a huge deficit down to just two points. 

Still, Berry head coach would like to see his team stop digging a hole for itself.

"We fought back against a very good team," Haarlow said.  "But against good teams, it has to be a 40-minute effort.  Tonight was about a 30-minute effort.  We just weren't focused at the beginning of the game, for whatever reason."

The rest of the game was as close as it could get, with the teams trading the lead but never pulling out to an advantage of more than four points. 

Maryville took the lead for the final time when Cory Cheek hit a 3-point shot with just over three minutes left to make the score 56-53.  Berry would twice get back to within one point, but never would catch up.

Still, Berry had a chance to win the game.  After Watson hit a pair of free throws to make the score 62-59 with 22 seconds to play, Berry's Jonathan Abrams drove the lane, but was unable to convert a layup attempt.  He rebounded his shot and Haarlow called timeout. 

After the timeout, the Vikings turned the ball over with 14 seconds to play, only to get the ball back and take another crack at the win.  The Vikings would get the ball to the man they wanted in Tim Miles, but his 3-point attempt with five seconds remaining just missed. 

After Miles fouled Cory Cheek with two seconds to go, the Vikings looked like they might get one last desperation heave when Cheek missed both free throws, but Maryville's Donald Rucker picked up the rebound to seal the game.

Miles led Berry with 18 points, and Cass LeBlanc finished with 12 points and a game high 10 rebounds.  Kendall Gadie also finished in double figures with 12 points for the Vikings.

"I was excited about Cass LeBlanc's game, and I thought Tim and Kendall really played well," Haarlow said.

Watson led Maryville with 19 points.

Berry returns to action Monday, when it travels to Huntingdon.

- BerryVikings.com -