MARYVILLE, Tenn. — The Belhaven men’s basketball team secured a spot in the CCS Championship game Friday evening after defeating Huntingdon 85-73 at the Cooper Athletic Center. The Blazers relied on timely three-pointers, interior defense, and a strong second-half run to improve to 15-12 overall. They will face No. 4 seed LaGrange in Sunday’s final at 2 p.m.
Belhaven came out aggressive on both ends of the court. CJ Minton opened the scoring with a jumper and then hit a transition three to give the Blazers an early 10-4 lead. Huntingdon responded with points from Marcus Townsend, who scored twice in the paint, trimming the deficit to four. The Blazers answered with a rally, as Dan Robinson made a jumper, Minton hit another three, and Christian McGahan scored inside to push the lead to 17-6 midway through the first half.
The Hawks chipped away at the lead behind three-pointers from Myles Murphy and Owen LaRocca. LaRocca’s three at 6:35 cut the deficit to 26-20, and Murphy’s three later made it 28-26. Belhaven responded with strong interior play, including a tip-in by Charleston Wallace, paint finishes from Dyllion Redmond, and a buzzer-beating layup by Benjamin Stewart, giving the Blazers a 36-32 halftime lead.
Huntingdon opened the second half with urgency. Townsend hit a three, and Murphy scored inside to briefly give the Hawks a 43-41 lead at the 17:15 mark. Belhaven quickly answered, with Robinson tying the game and then hitting a jumper. Minton followed with a three from the wing, sparking a 12-0 run that shifted momentum back to the Blazers.
After LaRocca responded with a three to make it 53-49, Belhaven pushed ahead with its most decisive stretch. Stewart buried back-to-back threes, Robinson added points in the paint, and Wallace scored a tip-in, pushing the lead to 68-58 with under eight minutes remaining. Huntingdon battled back behind Murphy and Townsend, trimming the deficit to eight multiple times, including a LaRocca three with 1:59 left.
Belhaven sealed the victory at the free-throw line. Stewart made two, Minton added two more, and Wallace sank both of his attempts in the final minute. LaRocca’s late three was the final score, but the Blazers held on for the 85-73 win. They now prepare to face LaGrange in the conference final Sunday at 2 p.m.
For updates on Belhaven athletics, follow @BelhavenBlazers on Twitter and Instagram, and like the team on Facebook. Supporters can also visit Team Green Giving.
