ATLANTA, Ga. - The Belhaven Men's Basketball team is ending the 2023 calendar year with a win as they took down Bard 69-60 on the final day of the Jack Berkshire Classic hosted by Oglethorpe.

The Blazers were strong defensively throughout the contest holding Bard to under 40% shooting from the field in the first half while Belhaven did enough on the offensive end to hold a slim halftime lead. Luke Couch was the driving force behind the Blazers' offense throughout the game and at the intermission, the Vestavia Hills, Alabama native had 16 of Belhaven's 34 points.

In the second half, Belhaven continued to keep Bard at bay and despite the game never being separated by more than single digits, the Blazers would never trail in the contest. Couch continued his torrid scoring in the second half, adding on 23 more points while playing all 20 minutes and leading Belhaven to an important bounce back victory.

Couch finished with a season-high 39 points on 13-22 shooting from the field and a lights out 7-11 from three. Neal Terry contributed in a big way off the bench delivering 10 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks in the win. While Judah Jordan was limited to six points int he game, he filled up the stat sheet with a game-high 10 assists to go with seven rebounds, three steals and two blocks. 

The win propels the Blazers to 8-4 on the season as they hit the changeover from 2023 to 2024. Belhaven won't have to wait long to get back on the court in the new year as they host LaGrange on January 2nd in their Collegiate Conference of the South opener. Tip against the Panthers is set for 4:00 PM and a broadcast will be available on the Blazers Sports Network.

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