Men's Basketball Holds Off Hiwassee

MARS HILL, N.C. – Junior Michael Carson scored a game-high 21 points as the Mars Hill men's basketball team defeated Hiwassee 73-59 in non-conference action in Stanford Arena on Thursday night. Mars Hill improves to 7-3 overall while Hiwassee falls to 2-14.

Carson topped his previous Mars Hill high by eight points as he played a season-high 28 minutes. Thomas Anderson scored 12 points, with Valentine Bauer and Brandon Watkins contributing 10 points each. Isaiah Cuthbertson had a game-high 10 rebounds while Bauer led the Lions with five assists.

Hiwassee was led by Kaseem Davidson with 15 points, followed by Charles Beard with 11 points. Joel Bailey had eight assists to lead the Tigers.

The first half featured six ties and seven lead changes with neither team enjoying more than a four point lead. Hiwassee took an 8-4 lead before the Lions tied the contest following a Bauer 3-pointer with 16:05 to play in the period. The teams struggled for separation during the middle stages of the half before a Carson 3-pointer with 7:23 remaining gave the Lions a 25-21 lead. Hiwassee answered with an 8-3 run, taking a 29-28 lead with just under three minutes remaining on a Davidson layup. Carson gave the Lions the lead with a 3-pointer with 1:29 to play before a Bauer jumper sent the Lions into halftime with a 33-29 lead.

Hiwassee opened the second half on a 9-0 run to take a 38-33 lead with 15:37 remaining. Mars Hill cut the deficit to one after consecutive layups from Anderson and Bauer before taking the lead for good on a Haynes 3-pointer with 12:43 remaining. Hiwassee cut the Lion advantage to three, 46-43, with 10:39 to play before the Lions went on a 12-5 run for a 58-48 lead with just over six minutes to play. Hiwassee would get no closer than eight points the rest of the way.

The Tigers outshot Mars Hill 44.2 percent to 38.3 percent. Mars Hill converted 21 Tiger turnovers into 27 points. 

Mars Hill travels to Pfeiffer on Saturday afternoon for a 2 p.m. contest.