Parker and Burks Lead Cougars to Road Win at Lyon

Batesville, Ark. – Collin Parker poured in 24 points and Tony Burks added 16 points and nine rebounds to lead the Columbia College men’s basketball team to a 72-64 win at Lyon College Thursday in Batesville, Ark.
 
Columbia won its third-straight game to improve to 8-3 (2-0 AMC), while Lyon fell to 2-3 (0-2 AMC). Columbia has won four-straight games against Lyon and leads the all-time series 35-8.
 
The Cougars shot a season-high 50.8 percent (30-59) from the field and outrebounded the Scots 36-30. Dogukan Kara added six points and a season-high five assists. 
 
Columbia hit five of its first 10 shots from the field, and took a 10-6 lead with 13:14 to play on a breakaway dunk by Burks. After Trenton Bell’s three cut the lead to two, the Cougars scored eight-straight points to increase the lead to double figures at 22-12 with 6:22 to play.
 
Bell drained a three just before half to trim the halftime advantage to 31-27. Columbia limited Lyon to 10-of-28 (35.7 percent) shooting from the field, including 3-of-14 from three. Parker led all scorers with 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting.
 
Lyon opened the second half on a 6-2 run and tied the contest (33-33) on a jumper by Nikola Sasaroga with 16:48 to play. 
 
The Cougars broke up a tie game midway through the second half with a 17-3 run to take a commanding 52-38 lead with 11:38 to play. Burks ended the run with his second fast-break dunk of the night.
 
Lyon would not go away as the Scots scored seven-straight points following Burks’ dunk, and a jumper from John Paul Morgan trimmed the advantage to 54-49 with 6:39 to play. An 8-0 run by the Cougars put the game out of the reach at 64-51.
 
Bell led Lyon in scoring with 20 points on 7-of-19 shooting, while Morgan (14 points, 13 rebounds), Sando Hill (12) and Sasaroga (10) also scored in double figures.
 
The Cougars continue AMC play at Central Baptist College on Saturday, Dec. 3 at. 3 p.m. in Conway, Ark.