DAYTON, TN – The Bryan College Lions mounted a furious second-half comeback but came up just short, falling to Spartanburg Methodist 62-61 on Tuesday afternoon.

Trailing 28-19 at halftime, the Lions erupted for 42 second-half points, outscoring the Pioneers by eight after intermission. However, Spartanburg Methodist's Musa Murithi hit a clutch jumper with no time remaining to give the visitors the one-point victory.

Ty Gibbs was the catalyst for Bryan's comeback attempt, coming off the bench to score a game-high 19 points on an efficient 7-of-9 shooting, including 3-of-3 from three-point range. The reserve guard scored 15 of his 19 points in the second half, providing the spark that nearly carried the Lions to victory.

Ty brought tremendous energy off the bench, as he helped Bryan shoot 57.1% from the field in the final 20 minutes. Kole Torres added 13 points and dished out four assists, while Trey Morrow contributed eight points. Derek Curtis chipped in five points and four assists in the losing effort.

The Lions struggled mightily in the opening half, shooting just 34.8% from the field and connecting on only one three-pointer in 10 attempts. Bryan found itself in a 14-point hole early in the second half before mounting their rally.

The comeback reached its peak when Torres hit a three-pointer with 1:20 remaining to give Bryan a 61-58 lead – their largest advantage of the game. The Lions appeared poised to complete the comeback victory.

However, Spartanburg Methodist responded with composure down the stretch. Tavarez Lacey converted a dunk to cut the deficit to one, and after a Bryan turnover, Murithi delivered the game-winning basket at the buzzer.

Bryan dominated the bench scoring battle 40-18 and forced nine Spartanburg Methodist turnovers while committing 17 of their own. The Lions also outrebounded the Pioneers 35-29.

However, Spartanburg Methodist capitalized on Bryan's miscues, scoring 17 points off turnovers compared to just nine for the Lions. The Pioneers also shot 72.7% from the free-throw line while Bryan converted just 55.6% of their attempts.

The loss drops Bryan College to 2-7 overall and 1-3 in conference play. The Lions will look to bounce back as they continue their season, hoping to build on the second-half performance that nearly produced a comeback victory. 

The Lions will host the Eagles of Reinhardt in a home contest on December 3rd.