Hanover, IN (Collier Arena) - The Hanover College Panthers (4-1) hosted the Mountaineers of Berea College (4-1) in their second home contest and first conference match-up of the 2024-25 season.  

In the opening five minutes of action, the Mountaineers jumped out to an early six-point lead at 10-4 lead by their senior guard Trey Minter. However after a few subtle scheme and personnel adjustments, the Panthers were able to make a run of their own over the course of the next few minutes, bringing the game to within two at 16-18. 

Hanover seemed to be taking back control of the game during the ladder part of the first-half by contesting everything at the rim and finding ways to produce in key moments offensively. With just over four minutes left in the first, HC took their first lead of the game at 26-25 after back-to-back threes from senior guard Luke Miller and sophomore guard William Herald.

After a few back-and-forth possessions sophomore guard Cam Freeman was able to keep the Panthers' defensive momentum alive down the stretch after pinning a Mountaineer lay-up on the glass, creating an opportunity on the other end of the floor for his teammates. Inside the final minute of the half Luke Miller hit another three to tie things up at 31-31, but Berea would ultimately take back the lead at 35-32 before the buzzer heading into the break.

Coming out of the locker room senior guard Luke Miller would open up the scoring with a three-pointer from the parking lot to immediately tie the game. Sophomore guard CJ Walls would knock down his first basket of the game from three as well just a few possessions later, keeping Hanover in the lead by one. On the very next possession, Walls was able to convert again, this time on a lay-up to go up 40-37.

The sophomore guard Cam Freeman was able to once again come through in a big moment for the Panthers and score a tough, contested lay-up through two defenders at the rim to maintain a four-point lead over the Mountaineers. Berea was able to battle back of the course of the next few minutes however, cutting the Panther lead down to one at 45-44.

After just eight minutes of play, the second-half had already brought more excitement to the home-crowd stands than the entire first-half - and senior guard Luke Miller gave the crowd something else to roar about after picking up three-points on and and-one attempt at the rim through two defenders. Miller then stats two blocks back-to-back on the next defensive possession for the Panthers, and Cam Freeman was able to find Miller for a corner-three just moments later to put HC up 58-51 with under seven minutes left in the game.

Sophomore guard William Herald continued to be a huge offensive factor for Hanover down the stretch and was able to hit a huge three-pointer to put Hanover back up by eight with exactly five minutes left. CJ Walls was able to convert another one at the rim through contact allowing HC to maintain their eight point lead the next possession. Berea would respond with a three-pointer the next time down the court, but Will Herald had something to say on the Panthers' next possession as he answered back with a three of his own, his fourth of the night.

This back-and-forth conference match-up got scrappy down the stretch and senior forward Coleman Sater put on a true display of grit as he scored again through bitter-contact to protect the five-point lead. Berea came down and cut the lead to three, and the Panthers needed a bucket with less than a minute to go. Looking to their senior guard, the Panthers got what they needed as Luke Miller iced the game with a fade-away mid-range jumper. 

Hanover went on to earn their first conference win of the season over Berea, 78-70. The Panthers are now 5-1 and 1-0 in conference on the year, and they look to return to action this Saturday (December 7th) at Franklin College, tip-off is set for 3:00PM EST.

Statistical Standouts for the Panthers from tonight's game include:
Senior Guard, Luke Miller: 23 Pts | 2 Reb | 2 Stl | 71.4% 3P (58% FG)
Senior Forward, Coleman Sater: 16 Pts | 13 Reb | 5 Ast | 2 Blk | 71.4% FG
Sophomore Guard, Will Herald: 20 Pts | 5 Reb | 80% FT