SEWANEE, Tenn. (January 28, 2022) - Rhodes captured their third straight conference win on Friday evening, defeating the Sewanee Tigers by a score of 66-62 on Friday evening on the road. The win moves Rhodes to 9-9 (4-4 SAA) on the year, while Sewanee falls to 5-11 (2-5 SAA). 

The first four minutes of the game were a back and forth affair, with Koki Wiley and Arness Georgetown II scoring four points each to match the quick-hitting Sewanee offense. Zavien Williams then cashed a three to give Rhodes a 11-8 lead at the first media timeout. Things slowed down from there, as neither team would score again until under 14 minutes left in the first half. A total of seven lead changes took place as the two teams struggled to rally for any extended amount of time. A pair of jumpers from Seth Aeschliman put Rhodes up with five minutes to go. Jalen Essick then did his part to maintain the lead, drawing contact and earning multiple trips to the free throw line. From there, he was cash as he connected on four straight near the end of the half. The Lynx headed into the locker room with a 30-25 lead at halftime. 

The Rhodes lead grew to as many as ten early in the second, thanks to makes from Mac James, Wiley and a three from Essick. A three-point play from Wiley would then push the score to 43-32, the largest lead of the game for Rhodes. Undeterred, the home team fought back with a 6-0 run to keep it interesting. Essick then took control, knocking down a pair of free throws, scoring a tough layup down low, and flushing home a dunk to score six straight for the Lynx and make it a 51-41 game with eleven minutes to go. After a few minutes of back-and-forth, the Tigers were able to pull within three with 75 seconds remaining. Mac James knocked down four free throws in the final minute, along with three freebies from Jefferson Walker, which proved to be just enough to fend off the Tigers late rally. By the end of it all, Rhodes held on for a 66-62 win. 

Essick finished the game with 17 points, followed by Wiley's 13. No other Lynx scored in double figures; however, seven additional players scored at least two points, showing an improved depth for the Rhodes bench. A big difference in the games was rebounding, where Rhodes secured 42 against 30 from Sewanee. 

Rhodes will continue their weekend road trip with a game at Centre on Sunday afternoon. Tipoff is scheduled for 3:00 pm.