FAYETTEVILLE, N.C.  At home in the Riddle Center Tuesday evening, Methodist took care of business with an 84-75 USA South Athletic Conference victory against visiting Greensboro College.

Dante Burden turned in another great performance in the midst of great performances all season. Burden tied his season-high totals of eight rebounds and seven assists to go with an efficient 21 points on seven-of-12 shooting.

The victory, with only two regular seasons left to play, goes a long way towards ensuring that the Monarchs could play at home for the quarterfinal round of the USA South Conference Tournament.

THE ESSENTIALS
Final score: Methodist def. Greensboro, 84-75
Records: Methodist 11-12 (9-6 USAS), Greensboro 2-19 (1-12 USAS)
Location: Riddle Center; Fayetteville, N.C.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The game featured two lead changes and tied scores with all four of those events happening in the second half. With the score tied at 46 early in the final frame, Burden completed the and-one for the final lead change of the night.
• The Pride took their first and only lead of the night one minute into the second half when KJ Langley made the long-range bomb for a 41-40 score. Keyshawn Dorsey made a bucket and the and-one free throw that gave Greensboro a four-point lead. Following a Garren Dearman score to cut the deficit to 44-42, Burden scored seven straight points for the Monarchs to retake the lead.
• Ten minutes remaining the game, it was a two-point, 58-56 game after consecutive Greensboro threes by Eric Peaks Jr. and Langley but the Monarchs used a 8-0 run to put distance between themselves and the Pride.
• Arguably the biggest sequence in the game came with the score at 60-56. The Pride's Dorsey was whistled for a flagrant foul and J'Quan Deal made both of his free throws to extend the lead to six. The Monarchs kept possession and Malik Edwards made it 64-56 with a layup. For good measure, Edwards made the following basket too off of a Sam Mingledoff steal and assist.
• Greensboro did manage to make it a five-point, 80-75 game with a 1:40 left remaining but the Pride was held scoreless the rest of the way.
• It was a three-point bonanza in the first half as Greensboro shot six-of-12 (50 percent) from the arc and Methodist shot five-of-14. Adjustments were made in the second half as both teams shot 25 percent from downtown, combining for four-of-16.
• Methodist used its range to open the game on a 8-0 run that blossomed into a 19-8 lead. Pernell was the catalyst with three made treys in the first six minutes of the game. Steve Andrew and Burden also made a three during the run.
• Despite a close 38-34 halftime score, the Monarchs led the entirety of the opening frame.

STAT FACTS

• Methodist outscored Greensboro 46-41 in the final frame, thanks to shooting an impressive 56 percent (18-of-32) in the period while limiting the Pride to 31 percent (11-of-35) from the field. Greensboro was able to offset the poor shooting by going 16-of-21 from the charity stripe.
• The Monarchs were bullies in the paint and on the boards and it shows in the stats. Methodist outrebounded their opponent, 48-26, including snagging 18 offensive rebounds that turned into 15 second chance points. The Monarchs also held the edge in points in the paints, outscoring Greensboro 48-30.
• Burden has topped 20 points in nine straight games, upping his season average from 14.2 points per game to 16.7 thanks to the streak.
• Off the bench, Mingledoff recorded his first double-double of the season with 11 points and ten rebounds. He also had four steals.
• Dearman had ten points, six rebounds, two assists, and two steals in the game. Kaymon Mitchell had 14 points and six rebounds. He was five-of-eight shooting.
• In his first start of the season, Chris Pernell had nine points, four assists, and four steals.

THE PRIDE'S CORNER

• Carmoni Marks led Greensboro with 18 points and seven rebounds. He was six-of-12 shooting, including two made treys.
• Langley and Greyson Collins each had 16 points. Langley made three shots from behind the arc and Collins knocked down two.

UP NEXT

• Methodist is in Danville, Va. tomorrow to play Averett University at 7:30 p.m.
• Greensboro's search for a third win leads them to Demorest, Ga., where the Pride plays Piedmont College on Friday at 7:30 p.m.