KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (Nov. 10, 2015) â€" The last two minutes of the first half is when the Buffs took over. After never leading over the first 20 minutes and trailing by as many as 11 late in the opening period, the Milligan College men's basketball team used a pivotal run to close the first half and hit some big shots in the second half to earn a 104-89 road victory over Johnson University Tuesday night.
 
Milligan (3-0) trailed 48-37 with just over two minutes left in the first half before closing the half on a 12-2 run, including a stretch where the Buffs scored 10 straight points. Julian Bailey had the first basket in the closing sequence before James Songster connected on a 3-pointer from the wing on one possession then found Kurt Brooks open for a layup on the next. Brooks made a 3-pointer himself, assisted by Milos Petrovic, on the next possession, and Jacob Cawood closed the half with a tough layup at the buzzer. Four Buffs scored a field goal over the 12-2 run.
 
Milligan trailed 50-49 at the break but used the momentum from the final two minutes of the first half to outscore Johnson 55-39 in the second half. The Buffs did it partly by way of the 3-ball. David Casaday connected on one midway through the final 20 minutes and another with 8:30 left that gave Milligan an 80-71 lead, its largest of the game until that point.
 
Brooks made another three near the six-minute mark which put Milligan on top 88-76, and the Buffs were able to finish the game off at the free throw line.
 
Brooks made two free throws with 1:08 left to put Milligan over the century mark, making it the first time reaching 100 points since the Buffs defeated Berea 100-97 in 2013.
 
Brooks led the Buffs with 26 points on 9-of-17 shooting. He was 6-for-10 from the perimeter as Milligan went 38-of-74 from the field and 14-of-30 from three. The Buffs made seven 3-pointers in both halves.
 
Bailey recorded a double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds, while three other Buffs reached double figures.
 
Milligan will be on the road for the next three games, facing UNC-Wilmington on Friday, Nov. 13, before turning around for Warren Wilson on Monday, Nov. 16. Appalachian Athletic Conference play will then pick up at Tennessee Wesleyan on Wednesday, Nov. 18, with the Buffs returning home for St. Andrews University on Saturday, Nov. 21, at 4 p.m.