Lynchburg, Va. -- Tharon Suggs sent University of Lynchburg men's basketball team into the semifinal round of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference tournament with a buzzer-beating jumper Saturday night as the Hornets topped Eastern Mennonite 79-77 in the quarterfinals.

In the final 12 seconds of regulation, after a missed Lynchburg free throw, the Royals' Tim Jones came down with the rebound and traveled the length of the floor, drew a shooting foul and made the attempted layup to tie the game at 77-77. Jones missed the ensuing free throw, however, and senior T.C. Thacker came down with the rebound and made an outlet pass. At the buzzer, Suggs pulled up inside the 3-point line and made the jumper sending the bench into a frenzy and propelling the Hornets to the ODAC tournament semifinals. 

Early in the first half, the Hornets (5-4) had control for the majority of the half. Lynchburg went on a 5-0 scoring run from the 12:08 mark to the 10:34 mark after freshman Landon Sutton hit a 3-point jumper putting the Hornets up 22-13. The Royals (2-2) responded late in the half and eventually tied the game at 40-40 after a Jones 3-pointer with 3:12 to go. The Hornets scored five unanswered points to end the half, capped off by a Sutton 3-ball, putting Lynchburg up 45-40.

The Hornets took an early 53-45 lead in the second half after senior Isräel Lockamy sank a 3-point shot at the 17:08 mark. EMU continued to play competitive defense as it kept itself in the game and then with 7:48 remaining in regulation, Mark Burkholder hit a 3-pointer to get the Royals within one, 65-64. The Royals eventually took their first lead of the night after a Jones layup as both teams went back and forth for the remaining 5:29, but in the end it was Lynchburg that came out on top. 

Thacker led all Lynchburg scorers on the night as the senior put up 19 points and grabbed 18 boards for his fifth double-double of the year. Suggs also recorded a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Lockamy and Dow Dunton also had double-digit scoring nights as Lockamy had 12 and Dunton had 11. Sutton accounted for 11 of the Hornets' 19 bench points.

The Royals' Tim Jones led all scorers on the night with 27 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists.

Lynchburg will be back on the hardwood on Tuesday, March 9 as the Hornets travel to Ferrum College to take on the Panthers in an ODAC tournament semifinal game. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.

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--LYN--