MONTEVALLO, Ala. – The University of Montevallo men's basketball team (18-9) saved its best free throw shooting performance for the postseason as the Falcons hit 24-of-26 from the charity stripe in a win over Georgia College (16-10) in the First Round of the Peach Belt Conference Tournament. The Falcons used a late run to take a 74-68 victory over the Bobcats. UM was led by junior Antoine Davis (Washington, D.C./M.M. Washington) who had his first double-double of the season with 17 points and 10 rebounds. He added a team-high three assists and three steals.
Redshirt-sophomore Jonas Brown (Tifton, Ga./Tift County) scored 12 points including a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line. He also added five rebounds. Junior Jervan Jackson (St. Thomas, Virgin Islands/South Dade) also had 12 points as he was 5-of-6 from the floor. Junior Tyrell Coleman (Philadelphia, Pa./Germantown) was the final Falcon in double-figures with 10 points.
UM shot 47.1 percent from the field while the struggled from three-point land making just two of their 13 attempts. The Falcons shined at the free throw line making 92.3 percent of their attempts. The Bobcats shot 50.0 percent from the floor and also struggled from three-point land making just four of 17. They had a good night from the free throw line (14-17) but it was not enough.
The Bobcats scored on their opening possession to take a 2-0 lead and then the back-and-forth game began. The score was tied 18 times throughout the game and there were seven lead changes. UM took its first lead on a jumper by junior DeMarcus Catchings (Arlington, Texas/Arlington) that put UM up 4-2. With the score tied 10-10 the Falcons began a 9-3 run that was capped by a jumper from Jackson with 8:57 left in the first. GCSU immediately responded with a lay-up and three to cut the lead to just one.
The Bobcats eventually tied the game at 22 with 5:11 remaining in the period. The two teams traded baskets for the next five minutes and a pair of free throws by Catchings with 22 seconds left in the half gave UM a 34-32 lead at the break.
UM's first basket of the second half was a three by Brown which gave the Falcons a five-point lead by the Bobcats immediately responded with a three of their own followed by a lay-up which tied the game at 37 with 18:21 remaining.
Neither team gained much of an advantage over the next eight minutes but with 10:19 left in the game the Bobcats began an 8-0 run powered by six free throws to take a 59-53 lead. UM responded with an 8-0 run of its own powered by six points from Davis which gave the Falcons a 61-59 lead with just 5:00 minutes remaining. The two teams traded the lead for the next three minutes but the Bobcats went scoreless for the final 1:15 of the game and the Falcons scored five-straight points to take a 74-68 lead and win.
UM will return to action Saturday, March 5 at 5:00 p.m. as the Falcons travel to Aiken, S.C. to take on the No. 1 seed from the East Division Augusta State University. The Jaguars took down Francis Marion 71-61 in the First Round of the Peach Belt Conference Tournament.
