Stillman Athletics
Chris Megginson
BLUE MOUNTAIN, Miss. – Stillman College shot a season-best 53.4% from the floor to out pace Blue Mountain College, 99-74, on the road Friday, Jan. 15. The win moves Stillman to 5-0 on the year, 4-0 in Southern States Athletic Conference West Division play. It’s the third-straight year Stillman has opened conference play 4-0.
The Tigers hit 39-of-73 field goals, including 44.4% from 3-point range (12-of-27). Eleven players found the basket, led by Devin Merriweather’s 19 points and six assists. E.J. Galloway and Tomias Brand each scored their season-high with 13 points apiece. Trey Petty hit three 3s as part of a 15-point night.
Blue Mountain took an early 10-5 lead before Galloway scored five-straight to tie the game. Four minutes later, Ladarius Carter broke a 21-21 tie with a 3-pointer to spark a 10-0 run by the Tigers. Stillman grew its lead to 25 points late in the half before entering halftime up 51-28.
Stillman’s largest lead of the night was 30 points, 93-63, following a David Reynolds basket with 4:15 to play, and again with 1:18 to play, 99-69.
Galloway recorded his first Stillman double-double with 12 rebounds to go with his 13 points. Derrick Finklea finished with nine points, Virgil Fields had eight and Carter scored seven.
Blue Mountain’s Brandon Williams led all players with 21 points, while Aleksa Vujadinovic was the only other Topper to score double-digits with 10 points. Luka Tejic had 11 rebounds and eight points.
Stillman (5-0, 4-0 SSAC West) will return to action against Blue Mountain again on Saturday at 5 p.m. for a Southern States Athletic Conference West Division game.