BEREA, Ky. – The Berea College men's basketball team rallied from a 14-point deficit at halftime but finish just short against Brevard College (N.C.) losing 69-67 on Saturday afternoon.

The Mountaineers fall to 4-10 overall and 0-3 in USA South Conference play, while the Tornadoes acquire a record of 4-10 and 2-2 in conference action.

Junior Isaac Caudill eclipsed 1,000 points for his career as a Mountaineer, totaling 13 points while shooting five-for-10 from the floor. Freshmen Trey Minter hit eight free throws, scoring a game-high 22 points and sophomore Kevion Hudson finished just shy of a double-double with 19 points and nine rebounds.

Both teams battled back-and-forth to open the game as Hudson scored the first four points for the Mountaineers as he finished a layup and hit a turnaround jump shot. On the next offensive possession, sophomore Tyler Boggs located Caudill for his first score of the game to draw even at 6-6 with 15:50 left in the half. The momentum soon shifted into the Tornadoes' favor, as they knocked down back-to-back three-pointers to spark an 11-2 run to lead 17-8 with 11:28 left in the first frame.

Berea began to cut into the deficit as Minter scored five points to cut the lead 17-13 with around nine minutes to go. Two consecutive scores from freshmen Marquis Mackey continued to pull the Mountaineers closer, only trailing by five points.

After a defensive stop with 4:37 left in the half, Hudson collected the defensive rebound and kicked it to Caudill for the fastbreak score to record his 1,000th career point as Berea trailed 26-23. Brevard ended the first half with the momentum in their favor, outscoring the Mountaineers 14-3 over the final minutes to take a 40-26 lead going into halftime.

 The Mountaineers opened the second half with a 12-5 run to cut the lead to single digits. Caudill's scoring sparked Berea's run as he scored seven of the Mountaineer's first 12 points of the second half to trail 45-38 with 16:39 remaining in the game. Just as Berea pulled within under 10 points, Brevard grew their lead to as large as 16.

Berea never backed down from the fight, as the Mountaineers worked their way to within five points with a 12-1 run. Minter and Hudson led the way for Berea, combining for 11 points around a span of five minutes. The Mountaineers finally broke through with 4:44 remaining as Hudson converted a tough layup to put Berea out in front 61-60.

After each side traded small leads over the closing minutes of the game the Tornadoes held a 69-66 lead following a successful trip at the free-throw line for Caudill. The Mountaineer's defense stood tall, forcing a Brevard miss as Hudson corralled his ninth rebound of the afternoon. Looking to force overtime, Minter rose for a shot from beyond the arc and was fouled by Brevard's Quincy Carter. Minter sank his first attempt but missed the next two as the Mountaineer's rally fell short, losing 69-67 to Brevard.

The Berea College men's basketball team hits the hardwood again on Tuesday, Jan. 25 against Covenant College (Ga.). Tipoff is slated for 6 p.m. at the Seabury Center.