MOUNT VERNON, Ga. – UT Southern let a sizable first-half lead slip away Thursday night, falling 75–73 at Brewton-Parker Christian after turnovers down the stretch proved costly in a tightly contested SSAC matchup.
The Firehawks were sharp from the opening tip and controlled much of the first half with efficient offense and strong defensive pressure. Antonio Cochran set the tone early, scoring inside and out as UT Southern built momentum quickly. Jack Harper knocked down multiple three-pointers to stretch the floor, while De'Marreon Baldwin attacked the paint and finished through contact as the Firehawks steadily widened the gap.
UT Southern pushed the lead to double figures midway through the half behind a balanced attack. Cochran continued to score at all three levels, Baldwin added a pair of strong finishes, and Luke Lentz and Kiah Key provided quality minutes off the bench. A late three-pointer from Lentz helped UT Southern take its largest lead of the night at 15, and the Firehawks carried a 46–35 advantage into halftime after shooting over 51 percent from the field in the opening 20 minutes.
The second half flipped the script. UT Southern opened the period with a Cochran three to maintain control, but Brewton-Parker slowly chipped away as possessions became more difficult. Harper connected from deep again to halt one run, and Mike Bell, Jr. scored key buckets to keep the Firehawks in front as the lead hovered around double digits.
As the clock wound down, turnovers began to mount. UT Southern struggled to convert offensive opportunities, and empty possessions allowed Brewton-Parker to close the gap. Despite timely baskets from Cochran and Bell, Jr., the Firehawks committed several late turnovers in the final three minutes, including back-to-back miscues that erased a late lead.
With the game tied in the final seconds, UT Southern was unable to get a clean look on its final possession, and a last-second basket swung the outcome.
Cochran led UT Southern with a game-high 26 points, shooting 10-of-17 from the field and knocking down four three-pointers while pulling down nine rebounds. Harper added 14 points on four made threes, and Baldwin finished with 11 points and six rebounds. Bell, Jr. provided a spark off the bench with nine points, while Lentz added five points in limited minutes.
UT Southern will look to bounce back quickly, traveling to Point University for its next contest on Saturday, January 31.
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