MARTINSVILLE, VA — Patrick & Henry Community College men's basketball came up just short in a hard-fought battle against Davidson-Davie Community College on Saturday, falling 84–80 in a tightly contested matchup.

The Patriots were led by sophomore guard Jayse Barrett (Clayton, N.C. / Moravian Prep), who poured in a game-high 28 points. Barrett scored 12 points in the first half and followed with 16 more in the second half to keep P&HCC within striking distance throughout the game.

Freshman guard Wes Gobble (Charlottesville, Va. / Albemarle HS) delivered a big second-half performance, scoring all 21 of his points after halftime as the Patriots mounted a late push. Freshman guard Ramael Warren Jr. (Brooklyn, N.Y. / Greater Vision Academy) added 13 points to round out P&HCC's top scorers.

The game featured several momentum swings, with both teams trading runs in a fast-paced and physical contest. P&HCC cut the deficit to one possession in the closing minutes, but Davidson-Davie was able to seal the win at the free-throw line.

Davidson-Davie was led by sophomore forward Nijel Howard, who finished with 22 points, while freshman forward Tayvion Tangoria added 21 points for the Storm.

Head coach Dan Milloy was proud of his team's fight and resilience following the game. "You can't fault our effort — I feel like we played hard. We haven't had this much togetherness since the beginning of the season, and for our guys to keep fighting with our backs against the wall, to keep at it, and have a chance to win at the end against an incredibly strong Davidson-Davie team — I can't be more proud of my guys."

P&HCC will return to action on Wednesday, January 14, when the Patriots travel to face Sandhills Community College for a 6 p.m. tipoff.

For full coverage and updates, visit phccsports.com.