FAYETTEVILLE, N.C.  Showcasing a high–octane offense, the Methodist men's basketball team defended the home hardwood on Wednesday evening, defeating the Pacers of William Peace University by 14 points. The Monarchs totaled 89 points in the victory — their most in a game this season.

JUST THE FACTS
Final score: Methodist def. William Peace, 89–75
Records: Methodist 6-13 (2–6 USA South), William Peace 3–16 (1–7 USA South)
Location: March F. Riddle Center; Fayetteville, North Carolina

HOW IT HAPPENED

• It was all Monarchs early as Zac Sledge scored six points to help his team grasp an 8–0 lead. Methodist appeared dominant, amassing a 16–4 advantage through just four minutes of play. Elijah Cathcart knocked down two three–pointers for the Pacers, pulling their deficit back to single digits.
• Methodist still led by eight (27–19) with 10:23 left in the half, but a nine–point burst by the Pacers allowed them to take the lead for the first time. There were five more lead changes inside the final seven minutes of the half as the teams went back and forth. With the Monarchs up by three, Cathcart scored a layup with around 10 seconds remaining in the period to pull his team within one. On the other end of the court, Zac Sledge lofted up a shot from just beyond the arc, connecting on the triple as time expired. It was his first three–point attempt of the season.
• Sledge's shot before halftime gave the Monarchs a pep in their step to begin the second half. Derrion Hicklen went back and forth with Elijah Green as the two scored four points each. Methodist extended its lead to seven points when Ke Edwards buried a shot from deep with 16 and a half minutes yet to play.
• A 12–4 run in favor of the Pacers saw the lead momentarily slip away from the Monarchs, as Ryan Lominack and Parker Hodgson each drilled a three for William Peace. Methodist was quick to answer, producing an 8–0 run that saw another triple by Edwards. The points began to pour on as the Monarchs went ahead 71–61 with seven minutes to go, and Methodist's lead was safe above 10 for the remainder of the contest.

MORE TO IT

• Methodist had four players finish in double figures, with Zac Sledge (21 points), Derrion Hicklen (18), Ke Edwards (17) and David McCallum Jr. (13) all making significant contributions offensively. Hicklen impressed across the board, adding seven rebounds, six assists and four steals.
• The Monarchs took care of the ball, recording just seven turnovers — tied for their fewest in a game this season. The other time they protected the ball just as well was in their win against Greensboro on Jan. 25.
• The Monarchs also capitalized off the opportunities that came when the Pacers coughed up the ball, turning their 17 turnovers into 28 points.
• Both teams shot above 50% in the first half, but the Monarchs found a way to still be better in the second half, shooting 60% from the field. They did so by continuing to drive and take high–efficiency shots near the basket, while the Pacers took more shots from deep (16) than inside the arc (12) during the second half.
• Methodist's 89 points are the most scored by the team in a single game since Jan. 22, 2021, when the Monarchs defeated William Peace 93–73.

UP NEXT
Methodist is back at home on Saturday, taking on Brevard College in another important USA South clash. Tipoff is slated for 2 p.m.