Men's Basketball | 1/9/2013 9:36:00 PM

Box Score FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. -- Christian McRae scored a career-high 24 points and the Methodist men's basketball team used a late 17-0 run to put away Greensboro, 83-75, on Wednesday evening at the Riddle Center.
 
McRae hit on 10-of-16 shots from the floor and helped key the Monarchs' (5-8, 2-2 USA South) late run as Methodist won for the second time in as many games. Greensboro fell to 6-7 on the season and 1-4 in the USA South.
 
After the Pride's Brian Thomas hit a three that gave GC a 64-57 lead with 8:47 left to play, the Monarchs embarked on the aforementioned run to assume a 74-64 lead on a Kyle Combs layup with 5:05 showing on the clock. Justin Washington started the spurt with a layup immediately following Thomas' triple and McRae followed with a layup that pulled MU within three (61-64) with 8:00 left to play. After coming up with a steal on the next possession, Washington knocked down a three that tied the game at 64-64 and a pair of McRae free throws on MU's next possession gave the Monarchs a lead that it would not give up the rest of the way.
 
Thomas finally broke Greensboro's drought with a layup at the 4:46 mark that made it a 74-66 game in favor of Methodist, but McRae countered with another jumper and would add six more points down the stretch as MU kept the Pride at bay.
 
In the first half, Greensboro led by as many as 12 (32-20) with 8:10 left in the period, before the Monarchs outscored the Pride, 18-9, to enter the break down just a single point (40-39). Eight different Monarchs scored during the run to end the first half, including a jumper by Washington that gave Methodist a short-live 39-38 lead with 35 seconds left. GC's Luqman Tijani made a layup just before the first-half buzzer to account for the halftime score.
 
Greensboro, which shot 54.8 percent (17-31) from the field in the first half, shot just 30.0 percent (12-40) in the final 20 minutes and finished at 40.8 percent (29-71) as a team and turned the ball over 18 times. Methodist finished at 45.7 percent (32-70) shooting for the game and committed just 10 turnovers. Greensboro also held a slight, 46-43, edge on the boards.
 
In addition to McRae's 24 points, Desmond Parker added 17 on 8-of-13 shooting to go with five boards and two assists. Washington ended up with 11 points and Tabias Hilliard had seven points, three rebounds and three assists.
 
Thomas led the Pride with 23 points and Tijani added 20. Raheem Martin chipped in 12 points and a game-high eight rebounds. Thomas also contributed seven rebounds and two steals.
 
The Monarchs are off until next Wednesday when they host N.C. Wesleyan in the second half of a men's and women's basketball doubleheader. The women's game is slated to begin at 5:30 pm.