For immediate release - 1/2/2009 - #147
LC Men's Basketball Holds On For a 69-64 Win Over Ferrum College
DANVILLE, VA- The Lynchburg College men's basketball team posted a 69-64 come-from-behind win in a rematch against Ferrum College Friday evening in the first game of the Averett University Classic. The victory marked the first ever win against Ferrum in 13 tries.
Ferrum looked poised early on to earn another victory over the Hornets, leading 16-10 with 14:57 left in the first half and with all the momentum. LC went on a 12-5 run to take a 22-21 lead with 8:20 remaining in the first stanza. LC would go on to close the half by outscoring the Panthers 13-7 to take a 35-28 lead going into the locker room at halftime.
The Hornets kept up the level of intensity and continued to increase the lead, gaining as high as an 18-point advantage in the second period. Derek Mitchell threw down two dunks to cut the lead to 60-47, but LC answered back with a Brad Kenney (Advance, NC/Bishop McGuinness) layup to end the run and push the advantage back to 15 with three minutes left in the contest. Ferrum once again made a strong run behind a lethal full court press to trim the lead to 64-58 with 22 seconds left. The Panthers were forced to foul the Hornets late in the game to send them to the free throw line, but the Hornets missed on the front end of two one-and-one foul shots to assist the Ferrum comeback attempt. Mason Wooldridge (New Canton, VA/Fork Union) closed out the game making all four free throw attempts down the stretch to secure the LC victory.
Wooldridge led the Hornets (3-8) with 17 points on 5-9 shooting from the field and converting on all seven free throw attempts along with eight rebounds. Steven Echols (Martinsville, VA/Carlisle), a 5-10 guard, posted his first career double-double with 15 points, 10 boards, four assists, and two steals and Kenney notched his first career double digit scoring game with 10 points by making five of eight tries from the field.
Five players reached double figures for the Panthers (6-5): Derek Mitchell scored 12, Daryl Hart had 11, and Jerrell Wade, Keith Crump, and Marcus Mayo finished the game with 10 apiece.
The Hornets completed the contest by connecting on 44% (24-54) of its field goal attempts while the Panthers hit 43% (25-58) of their tries from the field. Ferrum kept themselves in the game with three pointers down the stretch, nailing three in the final two minutes after making just two the previous 38 minutes while LC missed on all five heaves from beyond the arc as Ferrum finished 5 of 22 from deep. The Hornets had a decisive advantage at the free throw line, converting on 21 of 28 attempts (75%) while Ferrum struggled from the charity stripe by making on nine of 17 shots.
LC finished with nine assists on 24 made baskets while the Hornet defense forced Ferrum into one-on-one basketball as they tallied just three helpers on their 25 converted baskets. Lynchburg struggled down the stretch with defensive pressure, finishing the game with 23 turnovers while Ferrum turned it over 17 times. LC dominated the rebounding battle on both ends of the floor. The Hornets corralled 19 offensive rebounds and 25 defensive rebounds while Ferrum had 14 and 16 as Lynchburg maintained a 44-30 advantage on the boards.
Lynchburg (3-8) will play in the Averett University Classic in Danville, VA, Saturday as they face host school Averett Univeristy at 4 p.m.
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