MILLIGAN COLLEGE, Tenn. (Feb. 5, 2018) â€" David Casaday led the Milligan College men's basketball team for their third straight Appalachian Athletic Conference victory on Monday night in Steve Lacy Fieldhouse against Bluefield College, 89-87. Casaday went 10-for-15 behind the 3-point arch tying the school record for most 3's in a game while also tying his career high of 34 points.

The Buffs moved to 10-7 in the conference while the Rams dropped to 10-6. Though Milligan fell to Bluefield on the road earlier in the season (86-76), the Buffs refused to settle.

FIRST HALF TOSS UP
The first 10 minutes of the game both teams went neck-and-neck with a tied game at 13 apiece (13:58) and a home court lead by one point with 11 minutes left until the Rams stole the lead with a 3-pointer. Bluefield went on to lead by as much as 10 points until Casaday drained one of his 10 3-pointers in the final second to minimize the deficit leaving Bluefield ahead by seven at the half (44-37).

MILLIGAN RISES TO THE OCCASION
The Buffs carried over the momentum from the last second 3-pointer into the second half and it only took five minutes for the Buffs to fully recover. Bo Pless tied the game with a 3-pointer and was fouled and sent to the line. The 3-pointer tied the game for the first time since the first eight minutes of the game and the free throw put the Buffs back in the lead (49-48). Forty-four seconds later Pless drained another 3-pointer to further fasten Milligan's lead.

The Buffs went on to lead by as much as 9 and 10 points several different times in the rest of the half. Milligan had a 6-point lead with less than a minute to go. However, Bluefield attempted three 3-pointers until the fourth one went in to make it a 3-point game with 22 seconds remaining. A couple of Milligan free throws secured their victory despite a last second 3-pointer by Bluefield's Jermiah Jenkins.

STATISTICAL LEADERS
Following Casaday was fellow senior Will Robinson will 14 points. AAC Player of the Week, Aaron Levarity, and Daxton Bostian added 13 apiece. Levarity recorded his seventh straight and 18th total double-double with 14 rebounds. Bostian led with six assists and three steals.

For Bluefield, Jenkins led with 27 points going 7-for-10 from 3-point territory. Jorge Concepcion III followed with 16 points and Ty'quon Reid added 13 points and four rebounds.

As teams, Milligan recorded 15 3-pointers while Bluefield recorded 13. The Buffs' 15 3-pointers was three shy of the school record of most team 3-pointers made in a game.

UP NEXT
The Buffs are back on the road for the first time in the last six games to Bryan College on Saturday, Feb. 10, for another AAC showdown at 4 p.m. Milligan will return to Steve Lacy Fieldhouse Monday, Feb. 12, for a nonconference matchup against Warren Wilson College at 7:30 p.m.