LAGRANGE, Ga. The Methodist men's basketball team closed out the LaQuinta Inn & Suites Tournament on Thursday afternoon with a matchup against host LaGrange College. After leading by one at halftime, the Monarchs were unable to keep pace with a red-hot second half from the Panthers, falling 76–59 inside Mariotti Gymnasium.
JUST THE FACTS
Final score: LaGrange def. Methodist, 76–59
Records: Methodist 4–6, LaGrange 6–3
Location: Mariotti Gymnasium; LaGrange, Georgia
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Methodist settled in quickly and played LaGrange nearly even throughout the opening half. Early baskets from KJ Brooks and Dontavious Pettaway helped the Monarchs establish an early edge, while solid defensive rebounding kept the Panthers from finding much rhythm. Despite a lack of perimeter shooting in the first half, Methodist stayed efficient at the free-throw line and controlled the pace.
- Methodist carried a slim 26–25 advantage into halftime after a tightly contested opening 20 minutes, but the momentum quickly shifted coming out of the break. LaGrange opened the second half with an offensive surge, knocking down shots from the perimeter and converting in transition to seize control of the game. The Panthers shot over 60 percent in the second half and connected on five three-pointers after going scoreless from deep in the opening period.
- An early three-pointer by Micah McAllister sparked a run that pushed LaGrange in front 43–33 with just under 13 minutes remaining, forcing Methodist to use a timeout. The Monarchs tried to respond with trips to the free-throw line, as Brooks converted multiple attempts to keep the deficit manageable, but LaGrange continued to find answers offensively.
- Midway through the half, Deuce Rice provided a brief spark with a layup off an offensive rebound, trimming the margin to 55–43. However, the Panthers answered immediately, knocking down a three and scoring on second-chance opportunities to stretch the lead back to double digits. LaGrange's ball movement proved difficult to contain, as the hosts piled up assists and repeatedly capitalized on open looks.
- Despite continued efforts from Brooks at the line and inside, Methodist was unable to string together enough stops to mount a late comeback. LaGrange closed the game on a strong note, maintaining control in the final minutes and pulling away for a 76–59 victory.
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
- Brooks led all Monarchs with a season-high 21 points, going 9-for-10 from the free-throw line. Tre' Williams was the only other Methodist scorer to record double digits, with 11.
- The duo of Pettaway and O'Montae Daniels also filled the stat sheet. Pettaway registered seven points, seven rebounds, and five steals (career-high), while Daniels had two points, six rebounds, five assists, one steal, and one block.
UP NEXT
After playing three games within the last five days, Methodist is off until after the New Year. When the Monarchs return to action, they'll begin USA South action on the road, heading to Southern Virginia University on Saturday, January 3, for a 3 PM tip.
