NEED TO KNOW:
Score: Life U 61, BPC 67
Records: Life U 12-4 (5-1 SSAC); BPC 11-3 (3-1 SSAC)

MOUNT VERNON, Ga. — The Life University men's basketball team dropped its first contest of 2026 on the road Tuesday night against a tough Brewton-Parker squad. The Running Eagles nearly pulled off the comeback despite trailing the Barons by double-digits with just under eight minutes to play.

It was Life U that jumped out to the early lead, opening the contest on a 12-6 run. Clean defense from both sides saw the contest be a low-scoring affair for the first ten minutes of the first half, with a Maurice Wright layup giving the Running Eagles a 16-10 lead just before the half way mark. 

Life U continued to have steady control over the contest into the later minutes. Calvin Payton knocked down a big three at the 06:04 mark to give his squad its first double-digit lead of the game. The score line continued to float around the double-digit mark, with the Running Eagles carrying a 35-26 lead into the break. Wright and Payton both posted nine points in the first frame while Shane Stevensen led the team with six boards in the half.

The Barons opened the second half on a tear, going on an 11-0 run before Matija Gledic splashed home the first Life U basket of the half. Now in a one-point game, the teams traded buckets until the 12:30 mark, where Brewton-Parker once again went on a run. A 12-0 run gave the home squad its first double-digit lead of the day, 54-42, with 08:54 left to play.

Life U continued to battle in the contest as Brashon Hall dropped in a layup to cut the lead to six with 02:45 remaining. However, despite the lead being sliced to as little as four, Brewton-Parker closed out the game with a pair of free throws to take a 67-61 win.