Bucks Drop Heartbreaker to Calhoun to Close First Half of the Season

Motlow sophomore Raymon Adams (0) drives to the basket during Motlow game against Walters State earlier this season. Adams, from Nashville, averages 15.6 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. **PHOTO CREDIT:** *Jeff Reed*

LYNCHBURG, Tenn. — The Motlow men’s basketball team held an eight-point lead with three minutes to play, only to see it evaporate as the Calhoun (AL) Community College Warhawks beat the Bucks 83-79 Friday night at Copperweld Arena.

Motlow (4-11, 1-5) will now break for the holidays. The second half of the season begins on Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023, with the men hosting the Fisk University JV at 5:30 p.m. at Copperweld Arena. TCCAA conference play resumes with both Motlow teams hosting Columbia State on Saturday, Jan. 14.

Calhoun led early in the contest before Motlow evened the score at 13-13 with a Raymon Adams bucket with 13 minutes to play in the first half. The Bucks led by as many as 12 points in the first half before Calhoun rallied to cut Motlow’s lead to 42-37 at intermission.

Motlow led by four, 43-39, two minutes into the second half before Mi’Quan Tucker scored eight straight points, including a pair of 3-point shots, to give the Bucks another 12-point advantage, 53-41, with 15 minutes remaining.

Calhoun fought back, cutting the Motlow lead to 55-49 before the Bucks went on a 16-10 run, capped by a monster dunk by Adams, to again lead by 12, 71-59, with 6:23 to play. After trailing 79-71, the visiting Warhawks closed the game by outscoring Motlow 12-0.

Motlow shot 47.8 percent from the field, connecting on 8-26 3-point attempts and 8-11 free throws. Calhoun hit 42 percent from 3-point range and sank 17 of its 19 free throws. The Bucks turned the ball over 31 times compared to only nine turnovers for Calhoun. The visitors had the edge in rebounds 51-48.

Tucker scored 16 points and had nine rebounds for Motlow. Adams added 14 points with 10 rebounds and five assists. Matthew Jones scored 13 points with seven rebounds, and Dylan Wade had 13 points. Javon Martin had four assists to go along with seven points, while Kolbe Gray scored seven and added three assists. •

{The Lynchburg Times is an independently-owned, community newspaper located in Lynchburg, Tennessee the home of The Jack Daniel Distillery. We focus on public service, non-partisan, rural journalism. We cover the Metro Moore County government, local tourism, Moore County schools, high school sports, Motlow State Community College, as well as whiskey industry news and regional and state stories that affect our readers.}