BLUEFIELD, Va. – Bluefield University men's basketball mounted a spirited second-half comeback Monday night but came up just short, falling 92–87 to Carolina (N.C.) in a non-conference matchup inside the Dome.
The Rams opened the game with energy on both ends of the floor. Danny Alford scored Bluefield's first points in the paint, and Ke'Shaun Tonsall followed with a strong finish as the Rams briefly held an early lead. Carolina responded with perimeter shooting and free throws to gain momentum, but BU stayed within striking distance behind strong rebounding and defensive pressure.
Isaiah Sanders provided a spark midway through the first half, knocking down a three and pushing the tempo offensively. Shaft Clark and Tyler Suber added points at the line, while Alford continued to control the glass. Despite the effort, Carolina closed the half with a late run, taking a 37–30 advantage into the break.
Bluefield came out firing in the second half. A three-pointer from Lenair Young and consecutive finishes from Alford quickly trimmed the deficit, and a layup by Tonsall tied the game at 38–38 just over three minutes into the half. The Rams continued to answer every Carolina basket, with Clark scoring inside and Sanders connecting from beyond the arc to keep the margin tight.
Carolina pushed its lead back to six midway through the half, but BU refused to go away. Sanders hit a fast-break three to pull the Rams within two, and Alford scored on back-to-back possessions in the paint to make it a one-possession game late. Suber later knocked down a deep three with under 20 seconds remaining to cut the deficit to three, but Carolina sealed the game at the free-throw line in the closing moments.
Bluefield shot 54 percent from the field in the second half and knocked down eight three-pointers after halftime, outscoring Carolina 57–55 over the final 20 minutes. The Rams also finished with 24 second-chance points and 28 points in the paint.
Alford led BU with 17 points and 13 rebounds for a double-double, while Sanders added 15 points and nine assists. Tonsall and Clark each finished with 14 points, and Suber contributed 12 off the bench. Young added nine points, including three triples.
Bluefield returns to Appalachian Athletic Conference play Saturday, hosting Union Commonwealth at 7:30 p.m. inside the Dome.
