Men's Basketball | 2/18/2014 10:23:00 PM

Box Score RALEIGH, N.C. -- Tabias Hilliard scored 21 points, including 19 after halftime, as the Methodist men's basketball team erased a seven-point halftime deficit to defeat William Peace, 81-77, in overtime on Tuesday evening.
 
After taking a 37-30 lead into the break, William Peace extended its lead to 11 points at Jalen Vince canned a pair of buckets to start the final stanza and give the Pacers a 41-30 lead with 18:45 to play. The Monarchs began to chip away at WPU's lead and came back to assume a 44-43 lead with 13:08 to play on the strength of a 14-2 run. Hilliard capped the run with a three-point play.
 
The two teams traded slim leads back and forth, and Desmond Parker's layup with 3:49 to play gave MU a 62-58 lead. Vince answered with a pair of free throws for WPU that made it a two-point game (62-60) with just over three minutes to play, and Bryson Gibson pushed the Pacers in front (63-62) with a three-pointer at the 1:49 mark. Forty seconds later, Vince made good on a pair of free throws for a 65-62 WPU lead with 1:09 to play. Hilliard pulled MU within a single point (65-64) by knocking down a pair of free throws with 20 seconds left to play and Bryan Hockaday tie the game at 65-65 when he split a pair of free throws six seconds later.
 
The Pacers had a chance to win the game in regulation, but Vince missed a jumper with three seconds to play that would have won the game.
 
In overtime, Hilliard scored five of MU's first seven points as the Monarchs stormed out to a 72-65 lead with 2:46 to play. Back-to-back baskets by Hockaday helped Methodist push out to a 78-71 lead at the 1:07 mark before WPU answered with five straight points to make it a 78-76 game with 33 seconds to play. However, T.J. Gill hit 3-of-4 free throws down the stretch to seal the win for Methodist.
 
The Pacers used a 12-3 run in the first half to turn a 17-16 lead into a 29-19 advantage at the 5:30 mark. Consecutive three-pointers by Christian McRae and Keemon Ingram pulled the Monarchs to within four points at 29-25 with 4:18 to play before the Pacers took their seven-point edge into the break.
 
Hilliard's 21 points came on 8-of-13 shooting from the floor and 5-of-6 shooting at the line. He added five assists and four rebounds. Hockaday tallied a double-double of 15 points and 17 rebounds, while Gill chipped in 16 points. Parker totaled eight points and seven rebounds.
 
Vince led four Pacers in double figures with 12 points. He also contributed six rebounds and six assists. Chris Thomas had 11 points, and Shawn Shaffer and Gibson had 10 apiece. Thomas also pulled down a team-best 11 rebounds.
 
Methodist is back in action on Wednesday when it hosts N.C. Wesleyan at 7:30 pm.