MONTREAT, N.C. (Jan. 27, 2016) â€" After leading by as many as 15 points nine minutes into the game and by eight twice in the second half, the Milligan College men's basketball team could not hold off the Montreat College comeback, falling 71-60 Wednesday night at McAlister Gymnasium.

Milligan, which had not played a game in a week and a half due to weather-related changes, fell to 11-7 overall and 7-5 in the Appalachian Athletic Conference. Montreat broke a seven-game losing streak and raised its record to 3-14 (2-10 AAC). The loss was also the first for Head Coach Bill Robinson against his former school after winning 14 straight before Wednesday.

The second half started with an 8-1 Milligan run featuring two 3-pointers by Cole Anderson, who had made only two shots all season coming into the game. After Milligan led by eight, 44-36, less than three and a half minutes in the second half, Montreat used an 11-5 stretch to get the score down to two at 49-47.

Two free throws by Julian Bailey followed by two from Kurt Brooks made it an eight-point margin again at 57-49 with 6:15 left to play.

Montreat proceeded to go on a 12-1 run over the next three minutes to take its first lead of the second half at 59-58. The Cavaliers then continued to keep the pressure on the Buffs and pile up the threes as two more triples sandwiched around a Gabriel Logan layup led to a 65-60 Montreat advantage heading into the final minute. Milligan would not score again as the Cavs ended the game on a 24-3 run.

Milligan dominated the first nine minutes of action as Brooks scored nine points and grabbed four rebounds in only eight minutes while six other Buffs scored. Milligan jumped out to a 22-7 lead. In addition to Brooks who scored three times, Bailey, Anderson, Milos Petrovic, David Casaday and Will Buckner all finished with a score during Milligan's 18-5 run.

However, the Cavaliers answered with 18 points of their own on an 18-2 run to take the lead at 25-24 as the Buffs only hit one basket during a five-minute span.

After James Songster ended the Cavaliers' run with an and-one, the two teams went back and forth with Montreat scoring five straight points and Milligan scoring four straight. The two teams traded baskets for the final three minutes as Songster finished with another score and a three in the final 40 seconds to send the Buffs into the intermission clinging to a one-point advantage, 36-35.

Milligan was led in scoring by Brooks with 14. Bailey added 10 points and nine boards, and has now scored in double digits all but once this season. Songster finished with eight points, three assists and nine rebounds, tying his career-high on the boards. Anderson finished with eight points, and Brooks added six rebounds and four steals.

For Montreat, Sean Doman had 14 points, Spencer Norris had 13, and Ryan Bethoney had 11. Norris and Amir Davis, who also had 10 rebounds, were the main culprits from long range during the Cavs' run to end the game.

Next up, Milligan returns to Steve Lacy Fieldhouse to host Truett-McConnell College on Saturday, Jan. 30, at 4 p.m. and Bluefield College on Wednesday, Feb. 3, at 7:30 p.m. before battled two top-20 teams in three days. The Buffs will travel to No. 6 Union College on Saturday, Feb. 6, before hosting No. 17 Tennessee Wesleyan College two nights later on Monday, Feb. 8.