JACKSON, Miss. - As 2023 draws to a close, Belhaven Athletics is proud to recount some of the many moments displayed by Blazers student-athletes and teams that made this calendar year one to remember. Over the remainder of the year, multiple moments will be recounted, featuring each of Belhaven's athletics programs.

TOP MOMENTS OF 2023: MEN'S BASKETBALL DOMINATES LAGRANGE IN FIRST EVER CCS SEMIFINAL GAME

The 2022-23 season marked a new era for Belhaven Athletics and Belhaven Basketball. The year marked the first under new Head Coach, Josh Brooks, as well as the school's first year in the newly formed Collegiate Conference of the South.

With high expectations internally and a desire to make an early mark on the new conference, the Belhaven Men's Basketball team earned the second seed in the inaugural Collegiate Conference of the South Championship Tournament. 

After hosting and knocking off Huntingdon 73-69 in the first round of the tournament, the Blazers made their way to a semifinal matchup against LaGrange at tournament hosts Maryville. Belhaven dominated the Panthers 85-68 en route to one of the biggest wins in recent program history and a berth into the CCS Championship game. 

Belhaven was led on the day by Jordan Marshall who tallied a game-high 23 points and 9-15 shooting from the field. The Blazers' all-time three point leader Matthew McMillan showed off his range with 19 points on 6-8 shooting from beyond the arc while Luke Couch narrowly missed a double-double with 14 points and nine rebounds. 

The Blazers win was aided by stellar three-point shooting as a team, hitting 47.8% from three and blocking eight shots, five of which were tallied by Damien Wheaton. 

Fast forward to today, and the Blazers sit at 7-2 following a 4-0 start which was the best for the program in over a decade. Belhaven returns to action on December 29th and 30th taking on Regis as well as Bard in the Jack Berkshire Classic in Atlanta, Georgia. Conference play for the Blazers is set to open on January 2nd as they host LaGrange in Rugg Arena. 

Stay tuned later today for our next top moment of 2023. 

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