BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (January 16, 2022) - The Rhodes Lynx fought hard for forty minutes, but couldn't quite get over the hump before falling to the Birmingham Southern Panthers 77-70 on Sunday afternoon. The loss moves Rhodes to 6-9 (1-4 SAA) on the year, while the Panthers improve to 8-7 (3-1 SAA).

It was a slow start for both teams, as it took more than two minutes of gameplay before a point was scored on a BSC free throw. Arness Georgetown II had the first field goal of the game on an elbow jumper, giving Rhodes one of their two leads in the first half. The two squads traded blows for the first five minutes, with the Rhodes able to tie the score three separate times. Zavien Williams had the hot hand early, knocking down a pair of triples that gave the Lynx a 12-9 lead. The Panthers response was to connect on four three pointers in the next five possessions, giving them a 21-14 lead. Moments later, Rhodes went down low, scoring six points in a row in the paint on shots from Seth Aeschliman and Mac James to pull within four.at 28-24. Again, the teams would equal each other on offense, leading to a 33-29 halftime score in favor of Birmingham Southern. Rhodes outshot BSC from the field, 38.71% to 35.48%, but the Panthers held the edge in three-point shooting and free throws. 

A 7-0 run boosted the Panthers lead to 40-29 to start the second half. The Lynx were able to get two layups from Koki Wiley and another from Georgetowm, but the Panthers seemingly answered each Rhodes bucket with one of their own. The next six minutes of gametime saw the lead sway between 8-13 points as Rhodes failed to put together a strong of buckets and stops. Four points from Jones brought the score to 59-51, followed by a Williams layup to make ti a six-point game with seven minutes to go. The momentum was quelled however when Christian Stewart was able to finish down low on three possessions, moving the lead back to nine at the four-minute mark. Late jumpers from James and Williams, plus a handful of free throws brought the Lynx close, but it was too little too late as they fell 77-70.

Mac James was the leading scorer for Rhodes, pouring in 16 points on 5-11 shooting and 6-6 from the free throw line. Zavien Williams carded his first career double double with thirteen points and twelve rebounds. Koki Wiley (11 points) and Seth Aeschliman (10 points) also reached double figures in scoring for the Lynx. Stewart scored 19 points with 16 rebounds to lead the Panthers attack. 

Coach's Corner
"We are continuing to get better each game," said head coach Zo Goodson. "I'm very pleased with our effort for the most part. Zavien Williams and Mac James played exceptionally well on both ends of the floor. Zavien gives 100% when he is on the floor, and I love watching him work hard every game. We are very close ... we need to get back in the lab, continue to practice hard, build together, and work towards our goals."

Next up for Rhodes will be a home matchup against SAA foe Sewanee at Mallory Gym on January 21. Tip is set for 8:00 pm.   Read Full Article