Box Score
MEMPHIS – The Birmingham-Southern Panthers closed out the 2008-09 season on the road today at Mallory Gymnasium in Memphis, falling to the Rhodes College Lynx 76-63.
The two teams traded buckets for much of the first half. Rhodes kept the Panthers off-balance with stiff defense and aggressive drives to the hole. The Panthers’ shooting kept them in the contest, going at a 50-percent clip halfway through the period. They were unable to keep that level up, however, allowing the Lynx to close the half on an 11-3 run. BSC’s percentage fell 38-percent for the half, giving Rhodes a 33-25 advantage at the break.
The second half started as the first had done with the Panthers having few opportunities to cut into the Rhodes lead. #Aaron Parr# did have a chance to close the lead to 37-40 and give the Panthers the ball with 16:20 remaining following a pair of Lynx technical fouls, but the sophomore missed three-of-four shots from the line and the Panthers turned the ball over on the following drive. Instead of a tie game the Lynx maintained and added to their lead on the following three possessions and led 48-36 with just under 15 to play.
The Panthers were led by #Nathan West# with 12 points and 5 rebounds. #Michael Rebarchak# also scored in double-figures with 10 points on the night. Cory Smith led the Lynx with 14 points and 2 rebounds.
BSC shot 39-percent from the floor, going 22-of-56; 0-percent from three (0-of-13); and 52-percent from the foul line (19-of-32). The Lynx posted 42-percent from the floor, 38 from behind the arc, and 87-percent from the line.
The Panthers finish the year with an 11-14 record; the Lynx improve to 8-16.