HARTSVILLE, S.C. – The Coker College men's basketball team picked up a 101-96 win over the Mars Hill University Lions on Saturday (Feb. 18) in a South Atlantic Conference matchup. 

Mars Hill held an early 11-5 at the under 16-minute media timeout, however, it was Coker storming back on an 11-0 run to take a 16-11 lead with 13:12 left in the first half. Coker stretched the lead to double figures all the way until the 2:25 mark in the first half. A late 5-0 run by Mars Hill closed the deficit to eight at the half, with the Cobras leading 54-46.

Coker exploded out of the gates to start the second half, going on a 13-3 run to take a 67-49 lead with 17:57 left in the second half. Coker held its double-digit lead until the 9:54 mark, when a Mars Hill bucket closed the Coker lead to 82-74. The Lions continued on the prowl, closing the deficit to 92-89 at the 5:33 mark. However, it was the Cobras outscoring Mars Hill 9-6 down the stretch to pick up the 101-96 home win.

Six players scored in double figures for the Cobras, with Jake Barrett's 20 points leading the way. Larry Cooper finished with a career-high 18 points and eight rebounds off the bench. Demarco Jackson also finished with a career-high in the points column, pouring in 17 points. LaDarius Williams finished with 11 points, while Chase Brewington and Jalal Abdul-Azeez chipped in 10 points each.

The Cobras will be back in action on Wednesday (Feb. 22) when they host the visiting Newberry College Wolves on senior night.