FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. -- Three Monarchs scored 20 points and Methodist held off a late William Peace rally to earn a 91-85 win over the Pacers on Wednesday evening at the March F. Riddle Center.
 
Rae Hall, Jackson Whitley and Davion Ayabarreno all scored 20 points for the Monarchs (10-6, 4-1 USA South). Whitley shot 8 of 13 from the floor and Ayabarreno and Hall were each 8 of 14 as MU shot 53.5 percent (38-71) as a team. Ayabarreno completed a double-double with 10 rebounds and Bryan Rouse added 15 points, 13 in the second half.
 
Camden Ferguson led the Pacers with 15 points on five of 6 shooting from beyond the arc. Dakota King had 13, Jay Hicks scored 12, Ryan Emfinger added 11 and Maurice Canday scored 10. Emfinger also had nine rebounds, and King pulled down five boards with three assists.
 
Methodist opened up what had been a close game with a 16-5 run over the final 5:28 of the first half to take a 40-28 lead into the break. Whitley ignited the run with a triple from the top of the key and Ayabarreno followed with back-to-back buckets. Hall added a pair of layups down the stretch and Blake Davis capped MU's scoring in the first half by splitting a pair of free throws with 16 seconds on the clock.
 
In the second half, the Monarchs' lead grew to 19 points (53-34) on a layup by Davis with 15:47 to play. The Pacers began steadily chipping away at the deficit, and Emfinger's layup with 9:33 to play made it a 69-60 lead in MU's favor.
 
A 12-2 run by the Green and Gold over the next 5:22 restored a 19-point lead (81-62) following a Whitley jumper, but the Pacers made one final run. A 14-2 run by WPU pulled the Pacers within seven points (83-76) by the 1:09 mark. MU's lead stood at 88-80 with 30 seconds to play, but Ferguson drilled his fifth three of the game with 21 seconds to play to make it 88-83. After Hall split a pair of free throws for a six-point lead, a short jumper from John Burwell put the score at 89-85 with 11 seconds left.
 
Ayabarreno got to the line and made good on a pair of charity tosses for a 91-85 score line and the Pacer missed a pair of three's in the final five seconds.
 
William Peace shot 43.1 percent (31-72) as a team, and 34.4 percent (11-32) from long range. The Monarchs had a 39-38 advantage on the glass and forced 12 turnovers while committing just 11. William Peace got 43 points off its bench to just 13 for the Monarchs.
 
Troynell Reese added seven points and nine rebounds off the bench for MU and Davis handed out five assists.
 
Methodist will host Greensboro (9-5, 3-1) on Saturday with sole possession of first place in the USA South on the line. Tip off is slated for 2:00 pm.