Box Score

BLUEFIELD, Va. – The #20-ranked Rio Grande RedStorm outscored Bluefield College 8-5 in the final minute of play to take an 88-85 win in Mid-South Conference men's basketball action Saturday afternoon at the Dome Gymnasium.
 
A three-pointer from freshman Marcus Richardson with 1:15 to play squared the game at 80-80. But, the RedStorm (14-6, 7-2 MSC) scored a layup and then went 6-for-6 from the free throw line in the last minute of play en route to the road win.
 
The Rams (9-7, 3-6 MSC) had no answer for Josh Reagan who poured in 46 points on the night and also grabbed a team high nine rebounds for Rio Grande. Reagan went 17-for-19 from the floor and converted 11-for-16 tries at the charity stripe on the career night. Jermaine Warmack guided the RedStorm offense, dishing out 14 assists.
 
Kearsten Marion tallied a season-high 27 points on 10-of-17 shooting, including a 5-for-9 mark from beyond the arc. Josh Nesbit added 16 points and pulled down a game-high 14 rebounds for his sixth double-double of the season. Andrew Wilson also added 12 points and handed out a season-high seven assists.
 
The afternoon featured 10 ties and 13 lead changes as the teams went blow-for-blow on the court.
 
Although the RedStorm got off to a quick start with an 8-3 lead, BC was able to take is largest lead of the ballgame partway through the first half, 22-14. Eric Dukes scored a driving layin to cap the 12-3 run helping the Rams turn a one-point deficit into an eight-point lead with 10:27 on the clock in the first half.
 
Rio Grande clamored back to square the game at 24 and again at 29. After BC tallied a three from Marion and a jumper from Wilson, the RedStorm posted a 10-0 rally, thanks in part to a pair of threes from Warmack.
 
BC didn't let the RedStorm out of sight though, answering with a 7-0 run to regain the lead once again, 41-39, and the teams were all-square at 43 at intermission.
 
The teams traded 5-0 spurts to open the second, before the RedStorm outscored BC 14-3 during a 3:57 stretch and opened the first double-digit lead of the ballgame, 62-51.
 
The Rio Grande lead hung around double-figures for just more than four minutes, before the Rams put together a 13-2 answer led by Marion and Wilson. Marion kick-started the rally with eight-straight points before Wilson hit a pair at the line and knocked down a three of his own to square it at 74-all with 3:40 to play.
 
Layins from Reagan and Warmack as well as a free throw from Reagan made it 80-77 with 1:27 to play, before Richardson hit a three from the corner to square it at 80-80.
 
But, another inside hoop and four free throws from Reagan and a pair of free throws from Warmack outdid the Rams down the stretch.
 
Marion hit a three with 18 seconds to play, making the score 86-83 and Nesbit added a hoop at the buzzer for the 88-85 tally.
 
Both teams shot 32-for-62 (51.6) for the evening, while BC was able to hit nine from beyond-the-arc compared to seven for the RedStorm.
 
The visitors went 17-for-24 (70.8%) from the line though, outdoing BC's 12-for-19 (63.2%) performance on free throws.
 
BC took the rebound margin, 36-34.
 
Bluefield will travel to face Pikeville next Thursday, with tip scheduled for 8 p.m. following the women's game.