Men's Basketball | 1/3/2015 5:51:00 PM

Box Score LAGRANGE, Ga. -- The LaGrange College men's basketball team shot 57.1 percent from the floor in racing past the Methodist men's basketball team, 103-85, on Saturday afternoon at Mariotti Gymnasium.
 
The Panthers (5-4) hit on 36-of-63 shot attempts from the floor, including 7-of-15 from beyond the arc, and also got to the free-throw line 31 times where they made on 24 tries (.774). Justyn Olson led all scorers with 24 points, and Nick Mitchell added 22 points for LC. Desmond Parker and T.J. Gill led the Monarchs (3-7) with 18 and 17 points, respectively.
 
LaGrange started the contest quickly, racing out to a 13-4 lead on Braxton Ford's layup with 16:16 on the clock, prompting MU to call timeout. Out of the stoppage in play, the Monarchs chipped away at the Panthers' lead, pulling within a single point at 18-17 on Mike Major's jumper with 13:31 left in the first half.
 
LaGrange began to slowly pull away the rest of the first half. Mitchell made a pair of free throws for a 27-21 lead at 11:04, and the lead reached 15 points (50-35) when Mitchell hit a jumper at the 3:34 mark before the Panthers took a 56-44 lead into the break.
 
The Monarchs trailed by double figures until a late surge in the second half saw them creep within nine when T.J. Gill capped a 12-3 surge with a three pointer at the 6:02 mark. However, back-to-back turnovers led to layups for the Panthers and LC extended its lead back to 15 points (87-72) with 3:58 on the clock as the Panthers eased to the victory.
 
The Monarchs shot 37.8 percent (31-82) from the field and just 27.3 percent (6-22) from long range. Methodist out rebounded LaGrange, 44-40, including 21-8 on the offensive glass, and Mu committed 21 turnovers to 22 for the Panthers.
 
In addition to Gill and Parker, Major reached double figures in scoring with 15 points and Brandon Monk added 12 points. Joey Horne, Monk and Major all had a team-best six boards.
 
For LaGrange, Ford added 16 points, and Mike White had 12. Olson and White each pulled down a game-high nine rebounds, and Olson added five assists and three steals.
 
The Monarchs are back in action on Sunday when they play at Huntingdon.