MILLIGAN COLLEGE, Tenn. (Jan. 23, 2017) â€" The Milligan College men's basketball team took a break from Appalachian Athletic Conference play on Monday night, and hosted nonconference opponent Warren Wilson College. A rematch from an early season loss, the Buffs evened the score against the Owls and won 86-77.
 
Milligan (10-11, 6-7 AAC) struggled at the start of the game. Field goals were hard to come by and the Owls raced out to an 18-7 lead in the opening seven minutes.
 
When the Buffaloes needed a spark, they got one from their lone senior Alex Biggerstaff. Trailing 18-10, Biggerstaff stole a pass and scored a transition layup. Two possessions later, he struck from beyond the arc and cut the lead down to three. At the ten minute mark, Biggerstaff hit a pair of free throws and the Owls' double digit lead had all but disappeared.
 
"It's been great lately with Alex," Head Coach Bill Robinson said of his senior. "He's shooting the ball really well, making his free throws, and it's getting to the point that we can rely on him to make a big shot."
 
With 5:26 left in the opening half, freshman Bo Pless scored in the paint to tie the game at 31-31. Less than a minute later, David Casaday hit a three to give the Buffs the lead. Milligan closed the half on a 12-5 run and led 43-36 at the break.
 
In the second half, the Owls chipped away and cut the Buffalo lead down to one with 13:46 to go. The Buffs responded with a Casaday layup that generated a three point play opportunity. Casaday missed the free throw, but six-foot, nine-inch forward Ike Ndulue grabbed the rebound and set up a layup for Aaron Levarity, giving Milligan a five point lead.
 
With just under five minutes to go, sophomore Jacob Cawood hit a three to give the Buffs some separation. On the ensuing possessions, Tyler Nichols made a series of plays in a row to give Milligan a double digit lead. He stole the ball on one possession and got fouled, resulting in two free throws. On the next Warren Wilson possession, Nichols took a charge and on the ensuing Milligan possession, scored in the paint, giving the Buffs a 79-68 lead.
 
Milligan closed out the game in the final minutes and won 86-77.
 
"We're just trying to find ways to get victories," Robinson said after the game. "We had a stretch with a couple of tough games. To get one back, I don't care how we did it, it's just good to get a win."
 
Casaday led the Buffs with 18 points on the game, matching his season high. Cawood, who has had three double-doubles in the last four games, came up big again with 16 points, seven rebounds, three steals and two blocks. Nichols hit some key free throws down the stretch and scored 16 points as well, but also added six assists.
 
"We always seemed to have a different guy step up and make a play," Robinson said. "Someone stepped up and hit a three, had a couple of and-ones. Anytime it started to get close, someone would step up and make a play offensively."
 
The Buffaloes return to conference play on Wednesday night when they host the Montreat Cavaliers. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. following the women's game.