LAGRANGE, Ga.  Methodist netted 30 points off turnovers -- including 4 on consecutive thefts late in the second half -- to steal a 90-87 USA South Athletic Conference victory Friday evening over host LaGrange College.

Trailing 84-83 as the clock neared the one minute mark, Methodist's Kevin McLaughlin Jr. ripped the ball from the Panthers' Gary Bishop and raced down court for an easy conversion that pushed the Monarchs in front for just the third time in the game.

Dante Burden repeated the sequence on LaGrange's ensuing possession, anticipating a pass near midcourt and finishing off the play with a layin from the right side that provided the guests with their largest lead of the game.

THE ESSENTIALS
Final score: Methodist def. LaGrange, 90-87
Records: Methodist 10-11 (8-5 USA South), LaGrange 14-6 (10-3 USA South)
Location: Mariotti Gymnasium; LaGrange, Ga.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Enough can't be said about Methodist's defensive pressure during what still turned out to be a high-scoring affair. The Monarchs forced 23 LaGrange turnovers against only 13 miscues on their own part, and turned that difference into a 30-2 edge in points off turnovers.
• In addition to the errant passes the defense forced, five Monarchs came away with at least one steal, paced by Dante Burden and J'Quan Deal who registered three apiece.
• LaGrange led by as many as 11 points during an opening half in which it never trailed, but needed to fend off Methodist throughout the entirety of the final 20 minutes of action.
• The kick start to the come-from-behind victory actually occurred at the end of the first half when the Monarchs closed on an 8-1 run to slash a nine-point deficit to just four, 42-38, entering the break.
• Methodist narrowed the gap to just one, 65-64, on consecutive trips to the charity stripe by Burden who converted all four free throws.
• Not until a pair of free tosses by Kaymon Mitchell at the 6:17 mark, though, were the Monarchs able to finally grab the lead for the first time.
• LaGrange evened the score then advanced to a six-point advantage (78-72), only to see that lead eventually disappear for good with McLaughlin Jr.'s steal and fastbreak layup.

NUMBERS GAME

• Mitchell and Burden both cracked the 20-point barrier in the contest. Mitchell ended up with 22 points while adding eight rebounds, while Burden added 21 points, two rebounds, those three steals and a game-high six assists.
• Malik Manley came back from foul trouble to knock down a pair of jumpers on the immediate possessions before McLaughlin Jr.'s steal. Manley finished with 14 points and five rebounds.
• Methodist took advantage of 28 opportunities presented at the foul line, converting 24 of those chances for an 86 percent night from the stripe.
• The Panthers' numbers were glowing in the first half, but dipped by the end of the game. They hit the halftime break shooting 7-of-10 from beyond the arc, but ended the contest just 10-of-24.  And their 68 percent first-half from the floor sank to just 41 percent in the second half.
• Travis Thompson and Jamison McCray matched Methodist's leading scorers, as Thompson finished with 22 and McCray with 21.
• While LaGrange kept up in the rebounding department, Methodist outdid the Panthers off the offensive glass. The Monarchs came down with 16 offensive boards to help accumulate 20 second-chance points.
• The loss is the second in a row for the Panthers who, prior to this loss and one before to William Peace University, had rung up an eight-game win streak.

NEXT UP

• Methodist travels farther west for its next game, a Saturday-afternoon conference clash at Huntingdon College.
• LaGrange welcomes USA South West Division leader Covenant College to Mariotti Gymnasium on Saturday.