FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. -- Greensboro used a furious rally to force overtime then outlasted the Methodist men's basketball team, 113-105, in 2OT on Saturday afternoon at the Riddle Center.
 
The Pride (13-8, 7-3 USA South) outscored MU (7-13, 3-6) 19-5 over the final 3:07 of regulation to force overtime. After a frantic first OT, the Pride outscored Methodist, 13-5, in the second extra session to pull out the win.
 
Davion Ayabarreno gave the Monarchs an 85-71 lead with 3:07 on the clock before the Pride began their surge. Joseph Gatling answered with a trey for GC, and Simeon Howard converted a layup to make it 85-76 with 2:23 on the clock. Donavan Griffith and Howard scored for the Pride to make it a five-point game (85-80) with 2:06 to play.
 
A three-point play by Brandon Monk restored an eight-point edge for MU with 1:45 remaining, but after GC made 1-of-2 free throws, Gatling made a reverse layup to get Greensboro back to within five points (88-83) with 1:28 to play. Mike Major was sent to the line for the Monarchs and gave MU a 90-83 lead with 1:19 on the clock.
 
Gatling drilled another three, one of seven for him on the night, on Greensboro's next possession and following an MU turnover, Howard converted inside to make it 90-88 with 28 seconds to play. Using a full-court press, the Pride turned MU over once again and Howard tied the game at 90-90 with 15 seconds to play. Major was unable to convert an 18-foot jumper as time expired.
 
In the first overtime neither team managed to assert themselves as the period featured four ties and three lead changes. Howard gave GC a 100-98 lead with 40 seconds to play, but Tabias Hilliard tied the game up at 100-100 with 15 seconds to play.
 
GC had a chance to take the lead on the ensuing possession, but Howard's layup attempt was blocked by Jackson Whitley and Hilliard was tied up on the period's final possession forcing a second OT.
 
Greensboro quickly assumed a 108-102 lead in the second OT, getting points from four different players. The Pride then made 5-of-8 free throws in the final minute and a half to pull out the win.
 
Methodist led by as many as 15 points in the game's opening nine minutes, taking a 20-5 lead on a Monk jump shot at the 13:14 mark of  the first period. The Pride recovered from their slow start and began chipping away at the MU lead, cutting it to nine points (31-22) by the 6:42 mark, and then to as little as three points (46-43) with just under a minute in the first half. Irving Aughburns' three pointer on the final play of the first half gave MU a 49-43 lead at halftime.
 
Methodist shot 56.3 percent (40-71) for the game, while Greensboro shot 51.2 percent (42-82). The Pride held a slight 40-35 edge on the glass and committed 17 turnovers to MU's 22.
 
Monk led all scorers with a career-high 34 on 12-of-22 shooting. Whitley added a career-best 20 points, and Hilliard and Davion Ayabarreno scored 20 and 18 respectively. In all, the Methodist starters accounted for 98 of the team's 105 points. Monk also had a team-best nine rebounds to go with five assists. Whitley added six blocks and six boards, and Hilliard had six assists and four steals.
 
For the Pride, Gatling scored 33 points, including hitting 7-of-13 three-point attempts. Howard had a double-double of 29 points and 14 rebounds, and Parris Scales and Griffith each scored 20. Hamilton Hawkins had 11 assists and Scales added seven rebounds.
 
The Monarchs are back in action on Wednesday at N.C. Wesleyan beginning at 7:30 pm.