MEMPHIS, Tenn. - With their 77-57 win over Rhodes today, the Birmingham-Southern men's basketball team clinched a top four spot in the Southern Athletic Association and will host a first round SAA Tournament game.

For most of the first half BSC and Rhodes traded baskets and leads with the biggest lead being no more than two possessions. With just under five minutes to play the Panthers went on a 17-5 run to close the half and take a 15-point lead into halftime. The run saw five different student-athletes score points and help build momentum for the Panther. BSC shot 46.88% from the floor and 62.5% from three in the first half. 

Birmingham-Southern kept a double-digit lead the rest of the game. They eventually grew there lead to as much as 23. Rhodes would try to fight back going on a 9-0 spurt to cut the lead to 14 with 7:03 left in the game, but that is as close as they would get. The Panthers wound up winning by 20 with a final score of 77-57. The win helped the Panthers secure a top four spot in the SAA and the right to host a first round conference tournament game. 

Records
Birmingham-Southern 11-13 Overall (6-7 SAA), Rhodes 10-13 Overall (5-8 SAA)

News and notes
> BSC tied their season-high in blocks with seven.
> Cameron Glover has scored in double figures in nine of his last 11 games. 
> Josh Childers tied his season-high with 14 points. 

Up next
The Panthers will host a first round game of the SAA tournament on Sunday, Feb. 20. Game time is TBD as of now.