Blue Mountain, Miss.- The Toppers defended Tyler Gym on Friday night with a strong second-half surge, taking down the Stillman Tigers 79–71 in a high-energy non-conference matchup.
The first half unfolded as a back-and-forth struggle, with Stillman jumping out to an early lead behind hot three-point shooting from Josh Price, who hit three triples in the opening minutes. BMCU answered with stretches of composed offense led by Gavin Shannon and Michael Hill, who both attacked the paint to settle the Toppers in. With neither side able to create separation, the opening period featured five ties and multiple lead changes. BMCU trailed narrowly at halftime, 32–30.
Coming out of the break, the Toppers found another gear. Shannon became the focal point of the offense, powering his way to a game-high 30 points, including 11 made free throws and seven second-half field goals. His ability to score through contact swung momentum firmly toward BMCU.
As Shannon heated up, Esrael Yant followed with the strongest half of his young season. Yant poured in 12 of his 14 points after halftime, finishing an efficient 6-for-8 from the field while grabbing four rebounds and adding three steals. His finishes in transition and hard cuts to the rim helped stretch the lead into double digits.
Jamarion Harvey added timely baskets of his own, scoring 11 points on 4-for-12 shooting, while Michael Hill delivered 11 points, three assists, and two steals—including a pair of momentum-changing defensive stops. RJ Robinson and Jalen Boyd-Savage each chipped in key plays on both ends, with Robinson scoring five and Boyd-Savage adding six while contributing three assists and three steals.
Defensively, the Toppers were active all night, forcing 22 Stillman turnovers and converting them into 23 points. BMCU also owned the paint with 46 points inside, repeatedly attacking the rim and finishing through contact.
Stillman battled behind Price's 20-point performance and Adrelin Robinson's 17 points, but the Toppers controlled the final minutes. Shannon's steady free-throw shooting and Yant's late layups sealed the victory as BMCU outscored Stillman 49–39 in the second half.
Blue Mountain Christian closed the night shooting 49.1% from the field, collecting 16 steals, and getting 22 points off the bench, completing one of their most balanced offensive performances of the season.
The Toppers will be back in action next week when they travel to play Faulkner University.
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