GREENSBORO, N.C. For the first time in six seasons, the Methodist men's basketball team claimed victory in a USA South Tournament game, knocking off Greensboro College on Tuesday evening by a score of 82–70. With the win, the Monarchs avenged two regular-season losses to the Pride, including a one-point defeat just this past Saturday on the same court as Tuesday's decisive result.
JUST THE FACTS
Final score: No. 5 Methodist def. No. 4 Greensboro, 82–70
Records: Methodist 11–14, Greensboro 10–16
Location: Hanes Gymnasium; Greensboro, North Carolina
HOW IT HAPPENED
Greensboro scored first with a three-pointer by Will Gray. The Pride extended their lead to a 9–4 advantage, but
Tre' Williams and
KJ Brooks teamed up for the next five points, with Brooks assisting Williams on a triple and Williams returning the favor with a dime in transition. Methodist captured its first lead of the night just over six minutes into the game, when Williams canned another three to put the Monarchs up 12–10. Greensboro missed its next three shots, while Methodist produced points on each possession, including a two-point basket for
Brian Bullock, a pair of free throws for Brooks, and a deep ball by
Tomas Stevens that gave his team a 19–10 lead with 11 and a half minutes left in the first half.
With four of Methodist's next six points, Bullock put the Monarchs up by 13, and the Pride just couldn't seem to crawl out of the hole. Methodist's final two buckets of the half were both from behind the arc as Bullock and Brooks extended the lead to 14 points (41–27).
After scoring the team's first two baskets in the first half,
Sean O'Connor was not heard from again. That is, until the second half. The Monarchs went to their post threat early and often in the second half, with O'Connor scoring six of the team's first 11 points to push Methodist's advantage to 17.
With under eight minutes to play, Greensboro had gotten the difference down to 13, but an 8–0 run for Methodist (that included six points from Brooks) stretched the margin to 21. The Pride never got back within fewer than 12 points of the Monarchs as Methodist coasted to the win.
MORE TO IT
O'Connor's career night helped fill the void in a Monarch offense that failed to reach 70 points during the final three games of the regular season. O'Connor's previous career-best in points was 14, which he recorded during the first game of this season in the team's win at Warren Wilson College. He hadn't scored more than eight since then but found his touch on Tuesday, shooting 8-for-11 from the field and 3-for-4 at the stripe.
Brooks led the team in scoring with a season-high 24 points and contributed a team-best eight rebounds as well. He made the Pride pay at the free-throw line, sinking nine of 10 attempts.
The Monarchs outrebounded Greensboro 32–31 and had fewer turnovers (10 to Greensboro's 12). It's just the third time this season that Methodist has outperformed an opponent in both categories.
UP NEXT
The Monarchs will travel to Misenheimer on Thursday to take on top-seeded Pfeiffer University at 7 p.m. The Falcons suffered just two losses in conference play, but one of those came at the hands of Methodist when the Monarchs clawed their way to a 74–73 win on Jan. 6 in Fayetteville. Since then, Pfeiffer has put together a 12-game win streak, while 6-foot-8 big man Doug Smith has performed at a level worthy of the conference player of the year award.
