FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. -- Nate Stother's three pointer with eight seconds remaining the lifted the William Peace men's basketball team to a 74-73 win over Methodist on Wednesday evening at the March F. Riddle Center.
 
The Monarchs (10-12, 6-6 USA South) rallied from a five-point deficit with under five minutes to play to take a four-point edge with 1:01 on the clock, but WPU (12-10, 8-3 USA South) took advantage of several MU miscues in the final minute to escape with the win.
 
Shawn Shaffer gave the Pacers a 64-59 lead with 4:54 to play, but T.J. Gill answered with a layup for MU, and after two empty possessions for WPU, Gill found Brandon Monk open for a layup that made it a 64-63 game in favor of the Pacers with 3:49 on the clock. Mike Major pushed the Monarchs in front, 65-64, with a pair of free throws at the 2:39 mark before Michael Wolfe split a pair of charity tosses nine seconds later to tie the game.
 
A Monk jump shot was answered by Ryan Emfinger's triple that made it 68-67 with 1:53 on the clock, but a three by Gill and another Gill-to-Monk connection spotted the Monarchs their largest lead of the game (72-68) with 1:01 to play. A missed three by WPU was rebounded by the Monarchs and a quick foul sent Monk to the line where he missed the front end of a one-and-one. Following a defensive rebound, William Peace again missed from long range, but after MU's Desmond Parker corralled the rebound, he was forced into a turnover which led to a Stroher three pointer that trimmed MU's lead to one point (72-71) with 25 seconds to play.
 
Gill was fouled on the ensuing inbounds play and made good on 1-of-2 free throws, with WPU's Chris Thomas coming up with the defensive rebound for the Pacers. Lacking any timeouts, William Peace ran the clock down until Wolfe found Strother open on the right side for the go-ahead triple. Gill pushed the ball ahead for the Monarchs but was called for travelling, giving the ball back to the Pacers with three seconds to play. An MU foul on the inbounds play sent Wolfe to the line with a chance to extend the Pacer lead, but he gave the Monarchs a chance when he failed to convert either charity toss.
 
Methodist gained possession of the loose ball and called timeout, but Gill's shot from midcourt as time expired was no good.
 
The Monarchs' late-game rally came after William Peace had led by as many as 15 in the first half. A 10-2 spurt over the final 4:23 of the opening period pulled the Monarchs to within seven points (38-31) at intermission.
 
Methodist outshot William Peace 42.4 percent (25-59) to 39.0 percent (23-59), but the Pacers hit nine shots from long range to MU's two, and William Peace held a 45-30 edge on the glass, including a 14-3 lead in offensive rebounding.
 
Gill led all scorers with 22 points, including 8-of-10 shooting from the line, and Monk finished with 21 points on 8-of-12 shooting. Major chipped in 12 markers and was one of three Monarchs to finish with five rebounds. Tabias Hilliard had four assists and four steals.
 
Emfinger led the Pacers with 16 points and eight rebounds. Tyquan Nolan had 12 points to go with six boards. Shaffer chipped in eight points and seven rebounds, and Chris Thomas had nine points and six boards.
 
The Monarchs are back in action on Saturday at Averett beginning at 2:00 pm.