Koalas Spoil Season Opener for SMC Men's Basketball

COLUMBIA, S.C. - A put-back attempt by Kendall Brasfield of host Columbia College spoiled a comeback effort by the Spartanburg Methodist College men's basketball team, who dropped its season opener by a 78-76 margin on Thursday night.

The Pioneers (0-1) found themselves down by as much as 18, 58-40, with 14:05 left in the contest. SMC rallied behind senior Bryan Bayonne, who scored a game-high 29 points. Punctuated by a thunderous dunk by DeAnthony Ross, SMC scored nine-straight points in a four-minute span to make it a single-digit deficit.

Then, later in the half, the Pioneers a stretch of eight-straight points tied the game at 76 as Bayonne made three free throws with :40 left in the game. It was just the third tie in the game and first time since the 18:12 mark of the first half.

On the ensuring possession by the Koalas, the ball on a 3-point attempt got stuck in the rim which by rule possession went to the arrow and Columbia kept possession. With :08 left, AJ Vaught of Columbia missed a layup and an alert Brasfield got the put-back attempt with :05 left in the game.

Then, SMC first-year head coach Blake Jackson called a timeout to set up a chance to tie the game and send it to overtime. A last-second attempt came up short for the Pioneers, ending the game.

Joining Bayonne in double figures for the Pioneers were Kenny Burns and Richard Rojas, who had 13 and 10 points, respectively. Bayonne also had six rebounds and three assists in the defeat.

The Koalas landed four players in double figures with Vaught pacing Columbia with 16 points. Plus, Nakia Johnson chipped in 14, Kendall Brasfield scored 13 and Chandler O'Bannon had 10. Johnson had a game-high nine rebounds and Vaught had eight assists and seven rebounds for the winners.