RALEIGH, N.C. Methodist men's basketball outlasted host William Peace University, 90-83, to advance to the semifinals of the USA South Athletic Conference Tournament.
With 12:36 left in the game,
Calvin Manley tied the game at 53-53.
Kevin McLaughlin Jr.'s layup in the next possession gave Methodist the lead for good. Those buckets were the start of a 13-0 run that gave Methodist a 63-53 lead that effectively swung the tides in the Monarchs' favor. Altogether, there were 12 lead changes and nine ties but none after the Methodist run.
It was a three-man wrecking crew as
Dante Burden,
Garren Dearman, and
Calvin Manley combined to score 72 of the Monarchs' 90 points. The trio shot 22-of-34 from the field and 7-of-9 from deep. Burden had 26 points on six-of-nine shooting, plus three steals. Manley had 24 points and eight rebounds on 8-of-12 shooting and Dearman had 22 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the field, including five-of-seven from three-point land.
THE ESSENTIALS
Final score: Methodist def. William Peace, 90-83
Records: Methodist 16-10; William Peace 14-12
Location: Hermann Athletic Center; Raleigh, N.C.
Event: First Round; USA South Athletic Conference Tournament
HOW IT HAPPENED
- First, it was the Manley three to tie, then McLaughlin Jr.'s go-ahead layup. McLaughlin Jr. followed up his basket by assisting on two Dearman threes in consecutive possessions to put Methodist up 61-53. McLaughlin Jr. connected with Dearman again for another three that gave the Monarchs a 66-55 lead.
- With 3:28 remaining, the Pacers made it a four-point game, cutting the deficit to 77-73. It was championship basketball from there on from Methodist as Dearman made a layup to make it a six-point game again, followed by a Burden steal, and then an offensive rebound from Dearman that resulted in a made free throw for the 80-73 lead. Manley added a block on Trey Bryant after Dearman's free throw.
- With 1:30 remaining in the first half, Dearman's three gave the Monarchs a 33-27 advantage, their largest lead of the half.
- William Peace went on a 10-3 run to start the second half, resulting in a 41-38 advantage for Pacers. There were seven more lead changes after that point, ending with McLaughlin Jr.'s bucket at the 12-minute mark.
STAT FACTS
- Somehow, William Peace still lost despite holding slight edges in points off turnovers (22-18), second chance points (6-5), bench points (23-9), and points in the paint (40-30).
- Methodist shooting 27-of-47 (57 percent) from the field and 29-of-38 (76 percent) from the charity stripe helps explain how the Monarchs came away with the victory.
- Kaymon Mitchell provided seven rebounds and six points and Sam Mingledoff added eight rebounds.
- John Burwell led William Peace with 22 points.
- This was the second consecutive year that Methodist ousted William Peace in the first round of the conference tournament. Last season, the Monarchs defeated the Pacers, 104-70, in the Riddle Center.
- This was the fourth straight year that Coach David Smith and the Monarchs advanced past the first round of the tournament.
UP NEXT
- In the semifinals of the conference tournament, Methodist will play Covenant College, the number one seed in the West division. The game will be played Friday, February 28 at 5 p.m. and both the semifinals and the conference championship will be hosted by Averett University in Danville, Va.
- Methodist previously defeated the Scots, 62-54, on January 17 in the Riddle Center.
- This game also serves as a rematch of the 2018-19 conference semifinals. The Monarchs defeated Covenant, 61-56, in Lookout Mountain, Georgia, last season.
