GREENSBORO, N.C. Methodist men's basketball closed out the regular season Saturday afternoon at Greensboro College with a nail-biting 61–60 loss in a USA South matchup inside Hanes Gymnasium.
THE ESSENTIALS
Final score: Greensboro def. Methodist, 61–60
Records: Methodist 10-14 (6-8 USA South), Greensboro 10-15 (6-8 USA South)
Location: Hanes Gymnasium; Greensboro, North Carolina
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The game began as a back-and-forth battle, with Greensboro's DJ Jackson sparking a 5–0 run to give the Pride an early 9–5 lead. Methodist responded with a dominating 15–0 run, led by senior Tomas Stevens, who scored nine points to push the Monarchs ahead 22–13.
- Greensboro countered with a 17–3 run to regain a 30–25 edge, but junior KJ Brooks kept Methodist in the mix, scoring six of the final eight points of the first half to knot the score at 33–33.
- In the second half, Greensboro jumped out with a pair of three-pointers to lead 43–35, but the Monarchs kept the game close. A late surge, including baskets from Brooks, Stevens, and Tre' Williams, put Methodist ahead 57–56.
- A quick exchange of baskets kept it a one-point ballgame with less than three minutes remaining, when a Methodist foul sent Greensboro to the free throw line. With one made shot from the charity stripe, the Pride tied the game at 59–59 before Williams put the Monarchs back in front with a free throw of his own.
- With less than a minute to play, turnovers set the stage for a final possession. Greensboro sank a shot with 0.9 seconds remaining to take a 61–60 lead. Methodist's last-ditch attempt fell just short as the Monarchs closed the regular season with a one-point defeat.
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
- Brooks led all scorers with 22 points, adding eight rebounds.
- Stevens scored 11 points off the bench.
- O'Montae Daniels finished with 7 steals and 6 assists, both career-highs.
- Sean O'Connor grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds, including six offensive boards.
UP NEXT
Methodist now shifts focus to postseason play in the USA South Men's Basketball Tournament, returning to Greensboro for the first-round matchup on Tuesday, February 24, with tipoff at 6 PM.
