PITTSBURG, Pa. -- The Lynchburg men's basketball mounted a furious second-half surge but came up just short on the road, falling 77–74 to Chatham inside the Athletic & Fitness Center.
Senior forward Jayson Easton finished with a career-high 24 points on six made 3-pointers while adding six rebounds and two assists. Jamarcus Brown added 15 points, seven boards, and three blocks, and Piercen Young chipped in 14 points with four threes.
In the first 20 minutes of action, Chatham (2–2) held the Hornets (3–3) to 28% shooting from the field, limiting Lynchburg to just nine makes on 32 attempts.
The Hornets erupted out of the locker room with a 12–3 run, sparked by a string of big plays from Easton. After a layup from Brown, Easton buried back-to-back threes—both assisted by Derek Ross Jr.—including a fast-break triple at the 17:45 mark that cut the deficit to 38–37 and forced a Cougar timeout. He then knocked down two free throws on the next possession to give Lynchburg its first lead of the half at 39–38.
Chatham responded, but the Hornets stayed within striking distance throughout a back-and-forth battle that featured three ties and three lead changes.
The Cougars leaned on a dominant showing from Diaun Pinkett, who posted a 20-point, 15-rebound double-double, and Drew Vizenor, who poured in 22 points with six threes. Chatham's 18 offensive rebounds led to a decisive 29 second-chance points.
Lynchburg shot 52.9% in the second half and outscored Chatham 47–42 after the break, but the Cougars held on by converting key free throws in the final minute.
The Hornets continue nonconference play next week against Methodist in Fayetteville, N.C., on Sunday, Nov. 30.
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