MOUNT VERNON, Ga. – Brewton-Parker Men's Basketball is officially back in action as the Barons hosted Paine (Ga.) on Saturday afternoon for the 2023-24 season opener in Gillis Gymnasium.

The Barons (1-0) took down the Lions (0-1) 95-83 in a tough battle on the home hardwood.

"Hats off to Paine as they are always well-coached, tough, and physical," Head Coach Leonard Epps said. "I was pleased with our fight tonight and the ability to make winning plays down the stretch. Ugly games are always better with a win so we will learn and continue to grow."

How It Happened | First Half

Paine hit Brewton-Parker hard early, coming out with a 10-2 lead in the first three minutes of play. The Barons responded with a run of their own to level the game at 12 points apiece, led by Grant Sanders with five of the 10 points scored.

A pair of huge back-to-back treys from Jordan Johnson at the 13:40 and the 13:23 marks moved Brewton-Parker into its first lead of the night, holding an 18-14 edge over the Lions. Paine quickly answered to level the game at 18 apiece.

Johnson put BPC on his back once again with an "and-one" opportunity with 12:13 to play, giving BPC a three-point advantage. The first half proved to be quite the battle as both sides were trading shot for shot. Paine eventually moved to a 28-26 lead over BPC with nine minutes to play, but the Barons battled back into control.

Three-pointers from Sanders and Dre Burroughs gave BPC a four-point lead before a jumper from Burroughs with eight minutes to play slid the Barons forward with a 34-28 advantage. Brewton-Parker advanced to a nine-point lead with 6:30 on the clock as Burroughs knocked down another trey followed by a jumper from Lance Smith.

Paine pulled the deficit down to four points with 5:50 remaining, yet Brewton-Parker continued to press forward by taking advantage of trips to the charity stripe. The Barons eventually closed out the half with a 55-45 lead at the break, capped off by a pair of free throws from Domanic Betancourt.

How It Happened | Second Half

Brewton-Parker came out of the break with a long shot from Burroughs to keep a double-digit lead. The Lions clawed their way back into the game with a 12-2 run that covered the first five minutes of the half.

Sam Faraday-Bensley sparked an 11-2 run with four points to help boost Brewton-Parker back into a double-digit advantage over the visitors with a 72-59 lead with 12:56 remaining. BPC held a 16-point lead over PC after Johnson netted another trey ball with 11:10 on the clock.

The Lions continued to respond well, pushing back with a 16-4 run late in the half which covered about six and a half minutes. The Barons remained in control of an 81-77 lead despite giving away double figures.

Brewton-Parker gave themselves a 10-point cushion over two minutes of play, leading 88-78 with 2:02 remaining as a dunk from Sanders capped a 7-1 run. Fouls and a late three-point play from Johnson down the final stretch doomed Paine as Brewton-Parker managed to hold on to a double-digit lead, winning 95-83.

Inside The Statistics

• As a team, Brewton-Parker shot for 50% (29-of-58) from the field, 52.9% (9-of-17) from three, and 65.1% (28-of-43) from the foul line.
• The Barons dominated the glass with a 46-35 edge in rebounds.
• Despite giving up 29 turnovers, Brewton-Parker managed to produce four players in double-digit scoring.
• Johnson led the way for BPC with 27 points while shooting for 81.8% (9-of-11) from the field and 75% (3-of-4) from three.
• Smith also gathered 20 points in the game, shooting for 35.7% (5-of-14) from the field and 62.5% (10-of-16) from the charity stripe while producing four assists as well as five steals.
• Two more Barons recorded double figures with Burroughs scoring 17 and Sanders with 12.

Next Up

• Brewton-Parker returns to play on Tuesday as the Barons are set to host Toccoa Falls (Ga.) at 7:30 p.m. ET in Gillis Gymnasium.