MOUNT BERRY, Ga. - A classic Southern Athletic Association Men's Basketball Championship Final went down to the final seconds inside The Cage Center Sunday afternoon, but in the end, a late 3-pointer gave Sewanee the lead in the closing seconds, handing Berry a heartbreaking 86-82 loss.
Berry led 82-80 with 20 seconds to go in the contest when Sewanee started its penultimate possession. After a foul on a drive to the basket, Russ Marr went to the line for a pair of free throws. The first was good, but Marr, who was 11-of-11 on the day at the charity stripe until that point, missed the game-tying free throw. However, Sewanee would grab the rebound and a 3-pointer by Tre Corrigan put the Tigers ahead 84-82. A turnover on Berry's final possession led to a layup as time expired to account for the margin of victory.
The late heroics by the Tigers overshadowed a tremendous day from
Chase Ellis for the Vikings. The junior guard had 24 points and 10 rebounds to help keep the Vikings in the lead for the majority of the game.
The Vikings trailed at halftime 42-41, but after a bucket by Ellis in the first 11 seconds of the second half, the Vikings led until nearly the final horn. The lead would grow as high as nine for the Vikings, and even entering the final three minutes, the lead was at seven, 80-73.
Berry had the ball with 1:01 remaining in the second half and called timeout to set up a play. With
Braxton Benham running the point, the sophomore from Cartersville would go to a third cutter to the hoop in
Blake Campbell, who jammed home the ball and sent most of the partisans in The Cage into a frenzy as the Vikings led 82-78 with 39 seconds left.
That would prove to be the final points for Berry. Marr would make two free-throws, and after Berry came up empty on its next possession, Sewanee would swoop in to take the victory.
Five players would score in double-figures for the Vikings including Ellis. Campbell had 14, Benham had 12 and seven assists,
Owen Honroth had 11 thanks in part to three 3-pointers, and
Riley Costas had 10 points and five assists.
Ellis would be named to the All-Tournament Team after leading the Vikings in scoring in the semifinals and finals.
Berry finishes the SAA Championships with a record of 25-3.
