Box Score JACKSON, Miss. – The Belhaven men's basketball team (4-3, 2-2 SSAC) held on for their most dramatic win of the season on Saturday evening, a 74-71 defeat of Emmanuel College. A night after falling to William Carey University, the Lions (8-2, 2-2 SSAC) ended their Mississippi road trip with their first two losses of the season with both coming in Southern States Athletic Conference play.

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"What a game," Head Coach John Aiken said. "Our guys battled well, are playing unselfish basketball, and found a way to win."

Belhaven controlled the opening tip, scored first on a jump shot by Jordan Bedford, and got out to an early 9-2 lead before the 20th-ranked Lions stormed back to help create an entertaining game. In a game that saw seven ties and six lead changes, Deon Bedford led the Blazers' offensive attack with 15 points off the bench.

Jonathan Ratliff finished his night with 14 points, Jordan Bedford added 13, and Curt Hall recorded another 10. Emmanuel's Michael Stanley led all scorers with 21, while Adrian Justice and Luke Miller chipped in 15 apiece.

The Blazers' guests went to the locker room with a 35-30 halftime, but the hosts stormed back in the second half to outscore their opponents 44-36. With 1:15 left on the game clock, Stanley hit a free throw that broke a 68-68 tie, seemingly putting Belhaven behind the eight ball.

Chris Cofield had other ideas, however, sinking two of his own from the charity stripe with just 32 seconds remaining to put Belhaven up 70-69. Stanley again drew a foul, converted both free throws, and the emotion at Rugg Arena continued to rise with each passing second.

With five seconds left in the game and his team down 71-70, Blazer forward Brandon Greene connected on a pair of huge free throws. When Emmanuel's inbound pass resulted in a quick turnover, the Lions were forced to foul. Cofield converted both free throws, giving Belhaven a 74-71 edge.

Two seconds remained on the game clock, and Emmanuel had possession at the half-court line. Miller received the inbound pass and attempted a contested three pointer from the right corner as time expired, but Cofield came up with his first block of the season, unquestionably raising the decibel level at Rugg Arena.

Belhaven has now upset two SSAC rivals in as many days and now will shift their focus to cross town rival Tougaloo College. The non-conference matchup is slated for a 7:30 pm tipoff on December 3 at Tougaloo.