Milligan College, Tenn. (Nov. 26, 2012) --- The Milligan College men's basketball team used a late 12-0 run to take a 81-78 victory over nonconference foe Berea College on Monday night inside Steve Lacy Fieldhouse.
 
   The Buffaloes opened the game quickly as they used five points from Cartree Pettis (Oviedo, Fla.) to jump out to an 8-2 lead just over a minute in the game. Berea slowly cut the gap back to two points, but a Tyler DeVault (Kingsport, Tenn.) jumper gave Milligan a 17-12 lead five minutes into the half.
 
   Milligan quickly extended their lead to 10 points with points from Chris Ellis (Bristol, Tenn.) and Morgan McLeod (Hickory, N.C.). Pettis pushed the Milligan lead to 35-20 with 10:12 remaining in the half. The Buffaloes maintained their advantage over the next four minutes, and Mickey Woods (Port Arthur, Tex.) and Scott Blake (Greeneville, Tenn.) each hit a 3-pointer to help Milligan hold a 43-28 lead with just over five minutes left in the first half.
 
   Berea slowly cut into the Milligan lead in the final minutes of the half, but Woods hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to send the Buffaloes into the locker room with a 49-44 lead at the half.
 
   DeVault, Pettis and Woods had eight points apiece to pace Milligan in the first half. As a team, the Buffaloes were 18-of-40 (45%) from the field and 6-of-11 (54%) from the 3-point line. Berea was 17-of-28 (61%) from the floor and 3-of-4 (75%) from behind the arc.
 
   In the opening minutes of the second half, the Mountaineers quickly ran out to a 54-49 lead, but Pettis answered with six straight points to regain the lead for Milligan. However, Berea battled back to regain the lead and they maintained a 63-59 lead six minutes into the frame. Over the next five minutes, neither team was able to pull away as Milligan trailed 67-62 with 10 minutes to play.
 
  Pettis drained a jumper to cut the Milligan gap to two points, but they were unable to get any closer over the next four minutes. DeVault hit a pair of free throws with 5:33 to play to cut the gap to one point, and then he hit a jumper to regain a 73-72 lead for Buffaloes with four minutes left in the game.
 
   After the Milligan defense forced a turnover, DeVault added a basket and Torian Sitton (Hendersonville, N.C.) scored on two jumpers to cap off a 12-0 run. The Mountaineers trimmed the Buffaloes lead to three points, but Ignas Palaima (Lithuania) hit a pair of free throws to regain a two possession lead for Milligan with 1:30 left.
 
   In the final minute, the Mountaineers cut the gap back to two points. The Buffaloes, however, secured the win when Sitton recorded a steal and the Milligan defense forced another turnover in the final seconds.
 
   Pettis led the way with 22 points, while DeVault tallied 14 points and eight rebounds. Woods and Blake scored nine points apiece in the game. Sitton finished with eight points.
 
   As a team, Milligan was 29-of-64 (45%) from the field and 7-of-16 (44%) from the 3-point line. Berea ended the game 27-of-50 (54%) from the field and 5-of-10 (50%) from behind the arc.
 
   With the win, Milligan improves to 3-3 on the season.
 
   The Buffaloes return to action when they open Appalachian Athletic Conference play on Wednesday, Nov. 28, when they travel to Virginia Intermont. Game time in Bristol, Va., is slated for 7:30 p.m.