TOCCOA FALLS, Ga. (December 4, 2021) — The Milligan University men's basketball team dropped a visiting non-conference matchup with Toccoa Falls College on Saturday afternoon 82-77.
The loss brings Milligan to 0-9 on the season while Toccoa falls climbs to 7-7 for the year.
Milligan shot the basketball extremely well in the first half going 16-of-29 from the field and 6-of-15 from behind the arc. Sami Sanad led the Buffs in scoring with 14 points on five-of-six shooting and two-of-two from three-point range.
Jackson Gabriel and Piripi Korent were key for Milligan through the first 20 minutes of the game. Gabriel knocked down three triples for nine points while Korent went three-of-three from the floor chipping in eight points and securing a team-high four rebounds.
The Buffs largest lead came at the 1:25 mark after a free throw by Korent put Milligan up by 11 points. A late three-point shot from Toccoa falls trimmed the lead to eight with just under a minute to play. Korent answered with a jump shot of his own extending the Buffs lead to ten going into the break.
The Screaming Eagles darted out on a 19-9 run to tie the game at 54 with just over 12 minutes remaining in the second half. Three Toccoa Falls players scored in double-digits as the Buffs were outscored 47-32. Milligan came within two points at the 5:39 mark after Sanad converted two free-throw attempts making the score 66-64.
From that point, the Buffs were outscored 16-13 in the final five minutes of the game as Toccoa Falls came away with the 82-77 victory.
Lavontae Knox led Milligan in scoring in the second half with 12 points on five-of-seven from the field. Knox finished with 14 points on six-of-nine shooting and a 66 percent field goal percentage.
Sanad was the Buffs leading scorer on the day finishing with 22 points on six-of-eleven from the field. He was also Milligan's leading rebounder finishing with seven on the day.
The Buffs return to the court tomorrow matching up against NCAA Division I Austin Peay at 3:00 p.m.
