WEST POINT, GA – Bryan College's men's basketball team came up just short in their season opener Friday night, falling 73-71 to Point University in a thrilling contest at Point's home court.

Despite shooting a better field goal percentage and dominating the paint, the Lions couldn't overcome a late surge by the Skyhawks, who outscored Bryan 42-31 in the second half to secure the victory.

Bryan (0-1) jumped out to an early 14-point lead in the first half and took a 35-31 advantage into the locker room. The Lions appeared to be in control behind strong interior play and balanced scoring.

However, Point (1-0) found their rhythm after halftime, particularly from beyond the arc. The Skyhawks shot 35% from three-point range in the second half after managing just 13.3% in the opening period. Point's late-game execution proved decisive, with Kaden Paul hitting a layup with three seconds remaining to give the Skyhawks their final margin.

Senior guard, Kole Torres paced Bryan with a game-high 18 points on 6-of-16 shooting, including 2-of-8 from three-point range. Torres also pulled down five rebounds but struggled at times with ball security.

Haydn Moten provided a spark off the bench with 9 points on efficient 4-of-7 shooting, all coming in the second half when Bryan needed offense.
Trey Morrow added 8 points and played a team-high 30 minutes, while Terrell Reeves contributed 7 points and a team-leading 8 rebounds in 20 minutes of action.

Bryan's reserves outscored the starters 32-24, with seven different players coming off the bench to contribute. The depth will be crucial as the Lions navigate their schedule.

However, turnovers proved costly for Bryan, which gave the ball away 18 times compared to Point's 11. The Skyhawks converted those miscues into 22 points, double Bryan's 11 points off turnovers.

Bryan controlled the interior, outscoring Point 38-20 in the paint and grabbing 44 rebounds to the Skyhawks' 35. The Lions also held a 16-13 advantage in second-chance points, demonstrating their physicality on the boards.

Point's Robert Harris proved to be the difference-maker, pouring in 21 points on 6-of-10 shooting while going 7-of-8 from the free-throw line. Kenton Steele added 11 points and 9 rebounds for the hosts.

Bryan will look to bounce back and secure their first win of the season as they continue their early-season schedule. The close loss, while disappointing, demonstrated Bryan's potential and the competitive spirit that should serve them well throughout the campaign.

The Lions will be competing in the Ken Woods Memorial Classic at Life University next weekend.