Panthers stop Sewanee for first win of season
Nov. 20, 2007

SEWANEE, Tenn. – LaGrange College picked up its first win of the season, defeating the University of the South (Sewanee) 85-71 on Tuesday night. Demetris Render scored a game-high 29 points to lead the Panthers (1-2). It was the first loss of the season for the host Tigers (2-1).

Render was one of five Panthers in double figures, accounting for all of their scoring. Joe Cromwell had a season-high 21 points. Landon Baize and Caleb Smallwood had 12 points each and Nic Whitfield had 11.

Bradley Pierson and Ben Pursell led the Tigers' scoring. Pierson had 26 points and Pursell added 22. No other Tiger had more than seven points.

The first half featured 17 lead changes and the game was tied on eight occasions. The Panthers had the largest lead of four points in the first three minutes of the game. Sewanee took its final lead of the game with less than two minutes left in the first half.  Pursell had a layup and later hit one-of-two free throws for a 33-31. Render, who had 16 first half points, scored the final five points of the half to give the Panthers a 36-33 lead.

LaGrange never surrendered the lead in the second half. Pursell's basket with 12:49 left got the Tigers within one, 50-49. They would not get closer than five points the rest of the way. After Pursell's basket the Panthers went on an 11-0 run to go up 61-49.  Smallwood had seven straight points in the run. He scored a layup off a fast break, hit a 3-pointer and finished with a steal and a layup at the other end.

The Panthers scored eight of the game's last 10 points for the 85-71 final score. Smallwood closed out the scoring, giving the Panthers their largest lead of the game.

LaGrange shot 64.3 percent from the field in the second half, finishing the game with a 53.1 percent average. The Panthers held Sewanee to 42.6 percent shooting in the game. Sewanee had a 36-35 edge in rebounding. Render tied the Tigers' Kenton Coleman for game honors with nine rebounds.

The Panthers play in the Maryville College Thanksgiving Tournament this weekend. The Panthers play Oglethorpe on Saturday and Emory on Sunday.