Box Score BRUNSWICK, Ga.- The Coastal Georgia men's basketball team (2-6, 0-2) defeated Brewton-Parker (3-2, 2-0) 84-83 on Tuesday thanks to a last-second three-pointer by Kenny Brown in overtime.
Coastal Georgia spread the wealth offensively as four players finished in double-digits. The Mariners were led by Anthony Duncan who had 16 points along with five rebounds and three blocks. Nick Jiles finished with 14 points, Torey James with 13 points and Kenny Brown with 11 points.
Mason McMurray finished with eight points and six rebounds and Layton Veon was impressive off the bench with nine points and 13 rebounds along with two steals.
Rodney Wiley Jr and Aaron Daniels combined for 10 points and Antonio Muller came off the bench and hit a big three as well.
Brewton-Parker was led by Lance Smith who finished a game-high 36 points. Smith played 44 minutes in the game and also grabbed 10 rebounds and recorded five steals. Jordan Johnson also had a big night for the Barons. Johnson finished with 11 points including two big threes late in the game.
As a team, the Mariners shot an efficient 45.8 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from the three-point line. The Mariners turned the ball over 24 times allowing the Barons 25 points off those turnovers, but Coastal Georgia was able to find a way at the end.
How It Happened:
1ST HALF: The Mariners and Barons struggled to find their shots early in the game. The score was tied at just 16-16 at the 8:57 mark but then Coastal Georgia was able to rattle off a 14-1 run thanks to three-pointers by Layton Veon and Nick Jiles. The Barons were able to go blow-for-blow after that but still trailed at halftime 38-27.
2ND HALF: Coming out of the break, it looked like the Mariners were going to run away with it. Torey James scored five straight points to give Coastal Georgia a 43-29 lead, but that deficit did not deter the Barons in the slightest. A big corner three by Antonio Muller would push the Mariner's lead up to 49-34, but then Brewton-Parker started chipping away. At the 10:44 mark, Jordan Johnson, who had just two points at the time, shot a big three and then recorded a layup on the next possession. Johnson's scoring outburst coupled with some defensive stops gave the Baron's life as they trailed just 57-50. Aaron Daniels saw that momentum swing and decided to do something about it. Daniels shot a three from the left wing off a Kenny Brown pass and hit it to bring the Mariner's lead back up to 10.
After a layup by Layton Veon made it a 62-50 game, Lance Smith of Brewton-Parker decided to take matters into his own hands. Smith would go on to score 9 of the next 11 Brewton-Parker points and brought the game back within a possession at 64-61. The Mariners were able to stay out in front by three or four points until Jordan Johnson hit a three on the wing with 43 seconds left. Johnson was fouled on the shot and went to the line to complete the four-point play to force overtime at 74-74 after a layup by Nick Jiles went in but was just a tenth of a second too late.
OVERTIME: The Mariners and Barons were set to play a fresh five minutes. The score might as well have been 0-0 with the way each team fought. With the athletes diving for loose balls and the physical defense, it looked like a football game at games.
The Barons recorded the first four points of overtime. Torey James retaliated with a pair of lay-ins to keep it close. With the game tied 81-81 with 45 seconds left after a pair of clutch free throws from Nick Jiles, the ball was in the Baron's hands.
Lance Smith walked the ball up the court to eat some clock and try and leave the Mariners with as little time as possible. Smith drove to his left and threw up a tough shot that hit the front iron and landed right back in Smith's hands for a second try. With 7.5 left on the clock, Smith kissed the ball off the top of the glass and watched it spin through the net to help Brewton-Parker take an 83-81 lead.
With the crowd on their feet anxiously awaiting what would come next, it was the Mariner's turn to try to make something happen. Mason McMurray inbounded the ball to Nick Jiles who slashed through the Baron's defense before kicking it out to a wide-open Kenny Brown in the left corner. Brown caught the ball and without hesitation rose up for the shot. As it left his hands the air in the gym left and as the ball went into the net, that air quickly came back and turned to a deafening roar. With 0.6 seconds left on the clock, Brown nailed the game-winner as the Mariners took their first win in the Coffin Gym this season.
UP NEXT: The Mariners will host St. Thomas on Thursday night at 7:30 pm in the Coffin Gym
