Flyers Edge Red Hawks in 101-99 Thriller on Upchurch’s Buzzer-Beater

The Sandhills Community College men's basketball team delivered a heart-pounding finish Wednesday night, knocking off Catawba Valley Community College 101-99 on a last-second putback from sophomore forward Isaiah Upchurch.

With the game tied at 99 in the closing seconds, a driving attempt by the Flyers rimmed out — but Upchurch was there for the follow, tipping in the game-winner as the horn sounded to ignite the home crowd inside Heins Gymnasium.

Upchurch led the Flyers with 23 points and seven rebounds on 10-of-17 shooting, including the biggest basket of the night. Nylikk Troutman added 16 points and five assists, while Titus Cunningham scored 13 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and notched three steals. Cristian Sias contributed 13 points and five boards, and Zack Noel posted a near double-double with eight points and 13 rebounds.

Sandhills shot an efficient 55.4% from the field, outrebounding the Red Hawks 45-29 and sharing the ball with 19 assists.

Catawba Valley, which led 59-48 at halftime, shot 56.1% and hit seven three-pointers, led by T'Jay Mills' 20 points and KJ Burke's 19 points off the bench.

The Flyers rallied behind strong second-half defense and timely scoring, outpacing the Red Hawks 53-40 after the break to secure their most dramatic win of the young season.

Sandhills (now 2–2) will look to carry the momentum forward as they head north for two games hosted by Pennsylvania Highlands Community College.