Vikings extend win streak to 10 straight
♦ Berry holds off a second-half charge to beat Rhodes and stay unbeaten in the SAA.
Braxton Benham led Berry with 13 points as the Vikings won their 10th in a row with a 55-54 victory against Rhodes on Sunday afternoon in Southern Athletic Association play in The Cage Center.
Throughout the second half, Berry (18-2, 9-0 SAA) held a consistent lead, with Rhodes fighting for a breakthrough. The Vikings led by as many as 13, later to see the Lynx rally to tighten the margin until the end.
With under 2 minutes left, the Lynx cut the score to 55-50, then scored with 12 seconds remaining to bring the Berry lead to three. In the last 4 seconds, the Vikings had solid defense, not allowing the Lynx to score a on a 3-point attempt for a tie, securing the win.
Rhodes (12-6, 5-4) started early in the first with the lead. Blake Campbell then took the Vikings on a 9-0 run to build the team momentum for the rest of the half. Michael Johnson and Jordan Krueger both drained 3s to bring the score to 34-24 at the half.
Chase Ellis had 12 points and a team-high 11 rebounds for a doubledouble. Krueger and Campbell both scored nine, while Riley Costas had nine rebounds.
The Vikings will be back in action Friday evening on their home court with tip-off set for 6 p.m. against conference foe Millsaps.
Rhodes women 63, Berry 57
Three players scored 16 points each but Berry lost to Rhodes 63-57 on Sunday afternoon in The Cage Center in Southern Athletic Association play.
Kenadie Lee, Sylvia Kahoro and Elizabeth Sierzant all scored 16 for the Vikings. Sierzant led the team with nine rebounds.
With the Lynx holding a tight lead in the fourth quarter, Sierzant knotted the score at 51-51 with 4 minutes remaining. After Rhodes regained the lead, Kahoro and Sierzant each knocked down two free throws to tighten the score to 59-57.
The Vikings had four missed opportunities in the last 90 seconds of the game to tie, leading to the tough loss.
Berry (12-8, 5-4 SAA) jumped on the Lynx (10-10, 6-3) early in the first quarter with a 9-1 lead, but Rhodes’ offense came back to take the lead at 10-9. With solid shooting, Berry closed the quarter with a 16-13 lead.
In a tight second quarter, Sarah Wright drained two 3s to take the Vikings into an 8-0 run and a 26-21 lead. The Vikings took a slim advantage, 32-30, into the locker room at the half.
The Vikings will be back in action Friday at 6 p.m. in The Cage Center against SAA opponent Millsaps.