SVCC Captures 66-65 Thriller in Raleigh

RALEIGH, N.C. – Trailing by two with seven seconds left in overtime, Michael Jackson drained a trey from the left sideline for the game winner to give the Southside Virginia Community College men’s basketball team a thrilling 66-65 win over Bryant & Stratton MIT on Saturday afternoon in the 7th annual Goodyear Holiday Invitational in Raleigh, NC.

The win coupled with a 66-57 win over Stillwater Christian earlier in the day completed a 5-4 first semester for the three-time defending USA National Postgrad champions.

“The guys played well and made the plays we needed down the stretch,” said SVCC coach Dennis Smith. “We played some good teams during the first semester and games like today will only help us during the second half of the season.”

SVCC got off to a great start against Bryant & Stratton jumping out to a 7-0 lead on a bucket by Joshua McClure at the 16:56 mark.

The local team increased its lead to 27-16 on a bucket by Kamron Hughes at the 2:21 mark of the first half and took a 31-18 lead to the halftime break.

A trey by Hughes at the 16:56 mark of the second half increased SVCC’s lead to 40-24 before Bryant & Stratton stormed back and tied the game with a trey with two seconds left in regulation to force overtime.

Hughes led SVCC with 20 points in the win while Justin Williams scored 12, Jackson tallied 11, and McClure added nine.

SVCC won its first game of the day with a 66-57 over the host Stillwater Christian team.

The local team jumped out to a 34-29 halftime lead and pulled away midway through the second half.

Williams led SVCC with 26 points in the victory.

SVCC will be idle over the holidays but return to the court on January 6 with a 1 p.m. home date against Washington Academy.

GRABBING A BOARD – SVCC’s Joshua McClure grabs a rebound in action from the local teams’ 66-65 win over Bryant & Stratton MIT as teammates Kamron Hughes (1) and Jackson Cox (42) look on Saturday in the 7th annual Goodyear Holiday Invitational in Raleigh, NC. (SVCC photo)