MOUNT BERRY, Ga. – Belhaven's comeback efforts fell short in the season opener on Tuesday in a 62-57 defeat to Berry College. The Blazers cut a 15-point second-half deficit to just two late before the Vikings were able to hold on for a five-point win.
 
Both teams struggled to find their footing offensively early on as Berry held a slim 9-6 advantage at the 12-minute mark of the first half. After trading a few buckets, Belhaven took their first lead since the 18:34 mark at 14-13 after a pair of Neal Terry free throws.
 
Berry used a 10-0 run late in the opening half to take a 33-25 lead into the break. The Vikings came out hot in the second half, stretching the lead out to as many as 15 at 48-33 with 13:41 to play. The Blazers would not go away, however, going on a 17-4 run over the next six minutes to cut the Viking lead to just two at 52-50.
 
Berry responded by scoring 10 of the game's next 12 points before holding on for the 62-57 win. Sophomore guard Jordan Marshall led the Blazers with 26 points on 13-of-21 shooting. Junior guard Judah Jordan also finished in double figures with 12 points on 2-of-5 from beyond the arc.
 
The Blazers will look to bounce Friday, November 18th when they travel to Memphis to participate in the Rhodes Thanksgiving Classic. Belhaven is set to open the two-day event with Rhodes at 8 PM on Friday before battling Spalding University Saturday at 4 PM.
 
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