RALEIGH, N.C.  Methodist engineered a desperate rally over the final five minutes, but were unable to catch host William Peace University, which hung on for a 79-73 USA South Athletic Conference women's basketball victory.

THE ESSENTIALS
Final score: 79-73
Records: Methodist 1-5 (0-1 USA South), William Peace 3-3 (1-0)
Location: Hermann Athletic Center; Raleigh, N.C.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Leading 46-44 after Chandler True pumped in a pair of free-throw opportunities, the Monarchs fell silent in the offensive end over the remaining three minutes of the third quarter.
• A 13-2 run to end that frame, and four more unanswered points to begin the fourth quarter pushed the Pacers to a 13-point advantage with eight minutes to play in the game.
• William Peace owned the initial five minutes of the final quarter, out scoring Methodist 14-7 to extend its lead. But a Kayla Goldsmith free throw ignited the Monarchs who closed with an 18-8 run that trimmed the gap on the scoreboard.
• Methodist led in the early moments of the first quarter, surrendered the lead, then regained it at 13-12 with Katlin Kendrick's 3-pointer.
• William Peace would once again wrest back the lead in the final minutes of the first, but the second quarter was a momentum-stealing 10 minutes for the Monarchs.
• Methodist ran up a 16-6 scoring edge over the Pacers before even five minutes had elapsed in the second.
• By the end of the quarter the Monarchs had outscored William Peace by nine, 27-16, to head into the halftime recess with a 41-33 advantage.
• The eight-point margin disappeared quickly at the start of the third as the Pacers popped out a 9-1 run that included a pair of old-fashioned three-point plays -- layups, a Methodist foul, and a successful free throw -- that helped square the game a 42-42.
• Logan Lee popped a jumper from the right corner to lift Methodist back in front, William Peace answered, and then True nailed her free throws that preceded the third-quarter push that provided the Pacers with a lead they would never relinquish.

IN THE BOX

• Lee led the Methodist scoring with 18 points and was joined in double-figures by Kodi Centry (14 points), Goldsmith (14) and True (13).
• Centry had a strong game, pulling down eight rebounds, tying for game-high honors, while coming away with two steals and registering one blocked shot.
• True was just 2-for-4 from the floor, but aggressive drives into the paint earned four trips to the foul line where she finished with a perfect 8-for-8 night at the stripe.
• Khadijah Daniels and Mikayla Ray did the majority of the damage for William Peace, leading the attack with 20 points each.
• Mariah Ballen had half that total to push three Pacers into double digits during their victory.
• Rebounding was fairly even between the teams, William Peace finishing with a slight 41-36 edge, but 25 second-chance points by the Pacers more than doubled Methodist's 12 points in the same category.

NEXT UP

• Methodist returns to the Riddle Center for its home opener Tuesday night when it will entertain Meredith College in a conference clash.
• William Peace welcomes Mary Baldwin College to the Hermann Center on Saturday afternoon.