ASHLAND, Va. – Freshman Rassoul Abakar Cameroon/Notre Dame Fairfield) scored a season-high 15 points to lead four double-figure scorers as Gettysburg College (6-4) knocked off Averett University (2-7) 63-49 on day two of the Finks Jeweler's Tournament hosted by Randolph-Macon College on Thursday.
 

Teams	1st	2nd	Final
Gettysburg (6-4)	32	31	63
Averett (2-7)	20	29	49

                   
Gettysburg's Top Performers

• Rassoul Abakar '25: 15 points, 6 rebounds
• Carl Schaller '25 (Garnet Valley, Pa./Garnet Valley): 14 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists
• Ryan McKeon '24 (Landenberg, Pa./Sanford): 13 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 blocks
• Elijah Williams '23 (Washington, D.C./Sidwell Friends): 10 points, 7 rebounds

 
Averett's Top Performers

• Corey Baldwin: 23 points, 13 rebounds
• Jordan Lewis: 16 points

 
Game Summary - First Half

• Gettysburg fell behind early as both teams struggled to find their groove offensively. Averett tallied the first four points and took a 9-4 lead on a lay-up by Baldwin at 14:52.
• The Bullets' big men flexed their muscles under the hoop with McKeon and Abakar dropping in a pair of lay-ups as part of an 11-0 run that put Gettysburg ahead 15-9.
• The Orange and Blue continued to hold the advantage thanks to a stingy defensive effort that forced more turnovers (5) than made field goals allowed (4) by Averett in the final 10 minutes of the half. The margin continued to grow, hitting double-figures on a lay-up by senior Avery Close (Phoenixville, Pa./Phoenixville) which made it 26-16 with 6:07. A final bucket in the paint by McKeon gave Gettysburg a 32-20 lead at halftime.

 
Game Summary - Second Half

• Abakar continued to hold the hot hand early in the final period, picking up a steal and lay-up before knocking down a mid-range jump shot for a 40-25 lead at 16:11.
• The Cougars weren't about to go down without a fight and clawed their way back into the game. An old-fashioned three-point play by Baldwin was followed up by a long-distance shot by Keshawn Lewis to cut the deficit down to six (42-36) with just over 12 minutes remaining in the game.
• Both teams went cold over the next three minutes until a lay-up by Williams broke the ice at 9:07. After an exchange of buckets, lay-ups by Schaller and Close pushed the advantage back to 12 (50-38) with 6:39 to play.
• Averett dialed up the pressure in the final minutes by instituting a full-court press. Gettysburg held its own, knocking down free throws and picking up a pair of close-range shots in the final 67 seconds, including a thunderous two-handed slam in transition by Williams that made it 61-49 with 39 seconds remaining.

 
By the Numbers

• Gettysburg shot over 50 percent from the field for the second consecutive game. The Bullets hit 25-of-49 (51 percent) field goals, while holding Averett to a paltry 20-of-63 (31.7 percent).
• With Abakar and McKeon leading the charge, Gettysburg out-scored Averett 38-18 in the paint. The Bullets also held a 17-5 lead in bench points.
• Abakar finished 7-of-11 while playing a season-high 29 minutes. His 15 points topped his previous season high by seven and was one point more than his previous three appearances combined.
• Schaller and McKeon were both named to the All-Tournament Team. Schaller remained "Mr. Consistency" with his seventh-straight double-figure point effort. He finished the two-day event 10-of-16 from the field and totaled 26 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists. A day after tying his personal high for blocks, McKeon tied his career high with six assists to go along with his third double-figure scoring effort of the season. The sophomore forward finished 9-of-13 from the field and recorded 19 points, 14 rebounds, and eight blocks in two games.

 
Where the Series Stands
Thursday's match up was the first-ever meeting between Gettysburg and Averett.
 
Next Up
Gettysburg travels to Alvernia University (7-4) on Monday, Jan. 3, at 7 p.m.