By Matthew D. Stokes, BerryVikings.com Lead Writer

ROME, Ga. – Leading by 15 points in the second half, Berry's men's basketball team dropped a Southern Athletic Association game against Sewanee, 41-38, on Friday night at the Cage Center. 

The matchup marked Interim Head Coach Derek Taylor's debut after Head Coach Jeff Haarlow resigned on Tuesday.

The loss dropped Berry to 4-16 overall and 1-8 in SAA play.  Sewanee upped its record to 12-7 and 4-5.

After holding Sewanee to 14 points in the first half, Berry stretched its five-point halftime lead to as much as 15 points with under 15 minutes remaining in regulation.  Yet Sewanee rattled off a 22-7 run to knot the game up, 36-36, as Keshonn Carter converted on the tying free throw at 3:32.

With the 7.5 seconds left in regulation and Sewanee leading by a 40-38 margin, referees called traveling on Berry's Lake Graham as he drove to the basket.  Following two missed Sewanee free throws, Berry's Mac Howard threw the ball away, all but ending its chances of rallying.  Sewanee missed five straight free throws in that final minute alone before Brett Bouldin hit with a second left.

"I was very proud with the effort that they gave, especially in the first half and then the majority of the second half," Taylor said. "I think they wanted to win and they showed their will through a lot of that game; we just couldn't finish it."

Mac Whalen paced Berry with 11 points.  Valentino Bryant led Sewanee with 11 points, and Carter finished with 10.

Berry returns to action on Sunday afternoon against Centre.  Tipoff is scheduled for 3 p.m.