FAYETTEVILLE, N.C.  Dante Burden scored a season-high 26 points, including 17 in the second half, but visiting Pfeiffer University held on for a 77-71 win to spoil Senior Day for Methodist in USA South Athletic Conference men's basketball action Friday afternoon.

Despite a 44-36 advantage in the second half, the Monarchs ultimately were unable to recover from a first half that saw them trail 41-27 entering intermission. Burden led all players with 26 points on 11-of-19 shooting, nine rebounds, and three steals.

THE ESSENTIALS
Final Score: Pfeiffer def. Methodist, 77-71
Records: Methodist 5-5 (5-4 USA South); Pfeiffer 7-2 (7-2 USA South)
Location: Riddle Center; Fayetteville, N.C.
Event: Senior Day – Before the game, five Monarch seniors were honored -- Burden, Garren Dearman, Jamal DeShields-Beard, Ja-Quez Harrell and Derrick Newberry.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Monarchs' comeback bid started with 7:03 remaining in the game. Back-to-back steals by Burden and Garren Dearman led to back-to-back baskets in fast-break fashion (J'Quan Deal layup and Dearman dunk), part of a 7-0 run to cut the deficit to 62-53. That was the first time the lead was under 10 points since the 11-minute mark in the first frame.
• Burden's layup with 2:36 remaining made it a 66-60 game but Pfeiffer's Jeremy Savoy answered with a pair of tough baskets in the paint to extend the lead to 70-60 with 90 seconds left.
• The Monarchs made it very interesting when Burden and Clayton Coe hit consecutive 3-pointers eight seconds apart. Coe's three cut the deficit to 75-71 but Pfeiffer avoided a Falcons' disaster.
• The Falcons' first two baskets of the game were 3-pointers, an ominous sign of things to come as Pfeiffer shot 15-of-33 (45.5 percent) from the field and 6-of-14 (43 percent) from three in the first half. Consecutive threes from Nick Ruggerio had the Falcons leading 36-18, their largest lead of the game.

THE NUMBERS

• Burden moved up to sixth all-time in career assists with 280, passing David Smith -- his own head coach -- in the record books.
• Deal, Dearman, and Chris George each finished with eight rebounds, tied for the team-high. Deal had 10 points and Dearman added 13 points, with three blocks and three steals. T.J. East had eight points and six boards.
• Pfeiffer's shooting cooled off in the second half (33 percent from the field and 17 percent from three), paving the way for a Methodist rally but the Falcons had 25 attempts from the charity stripe in the final stanza, making 15 to hold off the Monarchs.
• Savoy led Pfeiffer with 19 points on 6-of-10 shooting from both the field and the charity stripe.

UP NEXT

• In the regular-season finale, Methodist travels to Misenheimer, N.C. for a 5 p.m. date against Pfeiffer on Sunday, February 28.
• The Monarchs' spot in the East Division tournament is assured but their placement (whether third or fourth seed) is not.
• A win on Sunday would result in a rubber match for the Monarchs and the Falcons, with Pfeiffer hosting Methodist in the semifinal round of the divisional tournament.