HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA — The University of South Carolina Beaufort men's basketball team opened its two-game Alabama Credit Union Classic trip with a 78–73 victory over Christian Brothers on Saturday night. Behind four double-figure scorers, the Sand Sharks built a 14-point halftime lead and held off a late Christian Brothers run to stay perfect on the season.
USCB improved to 4–0, while Christian Brothers dropped to 0–2.
Evan Kilminster led the Sand Sharks with 12 points, one of four players in double figures alongside Kevaughn Price, Aiden Fitzgerald, and Dominic Eason. Kilminster, Seth Cullen, and Dylan Lewis each pulled down a team-high five rebounds, while Price added a team-best four assists.
The opening minutes featured back-and-forth action with four early ties, the last coming at 9–9 after a Kilminster layup. Fitzgerald then gave USCB its first lead, sparking a 6–0 run to go up 13–9.
After a Christian Brothers basket trimmed the lead to 17–16, the Sand Sharks jumped out for a 14–0 run highlighted by five points from Eason and capped by a Cullen three-pointer to take a 31–16 advantage. During the run, USCB forced two turnovers and knocked down four three-pointers in a two-minute span.
Christian Brothers cut the margin to 10 at the 5:34 mark, but a Cullen basket followed by his steal leading to an Israel Eatman layup pushed the lead back to 17. USCB carried a 44–30 advantage into halftime.
Lewis and Eason extended the lead to 49–32 early in the second half, and Fitzgerald's three-pointer stretched it to 56–38, the Sand Sharks' largest lead of the night.
Christian Brothers responded, trimming the deficit to single digits after a Marquis Gill layup made it 63–54. The Buccaneers continued their push, cutting the USCB lead to 70–67 with six minutes remaining.
Price halted the run with a putback off his own offensive rebound, but Christian Brothers stayed within striking distance at 74–71. Ismail Rashid's layup made it a two-possession game, and the Sand Sharks sealed the win at the free-throw line with two late Kilminster foul shots to secure the 78–73 victory.
USCB will wrap up its Alabama trip against No. 6 The University of Alabama in Huntsville on Saturday. Tipoff is scheduled for 4:00 PM ET (3:00 PM CT).
Stay tuned to uscbathletics.com and follow Sand Shark Athletics on social media for the latest news, updates, and information.
