ATLANTA, GA. - Panther Men's Basketball (4-8) was on the losing end of a heartbreaking finish Monday afternoon (Dec. 30) dealt by the Cougars of Kean University (5-7), who mounted an improbable 23-point comeback in the second half to best LaGrange by a final score of 78-69 in the second game of the Emory Shootout.

Game Summary
The onset of the contest was all Panthers as LaGrange capitalized on multiple errors and missed shots by Kean, leading by as much as 18 midway through the half. The dominance continued as they began to feel trigger happy from behind the three-point line to snuff out the Cougars' comeback attempts late in the half. Similar to yesterday's game, Jace Herrell and Tyler Harrington once again proved to be an explosive duo from behind the arc, going a combined 6/10 as the Panthers held a dominant 43-26 lead at halftime.

The second half seemingly looked like a continuation of much of the same, as the Panthers were able to score with great consistency, highlighted by a three-pointer from Kameron McCall to fire up the LaGrange bench six minutes into the half. That moment would prove to be the last time LC held a firm grip on the game, as Kean slowly inched their way back into competitive position, bringing the 23-point deficit down to just four with 10 minutes remaining in the contest. 

Facing the increasing intensity of a Cougars team who had found new life, the Panthers suddenly found themselves behind for the first time, trailing 59-58 at the 9:07 mark. LaGrange fought tooth and nail to regain the momentum that had slipped away in what seemed to be a matter of seconds, but could not quite battle back as Kean narrowly escaped the clutches of defeat, handing the Panthers a gut-punching 78-69 loss.

Up Next
The Panthers will be back in action in 2025 when they open conference play against rivals Huntingdon College on Jan. 4 in Montgomery, Al. For links to stream the game and live stats, click here.