ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – University of Montevallo junior Shykeem Jackson tied his career high with 20 points as he led the nationally-ranked Falcons to a 77-66 win on the road at Flagler College in a Peach Belt Conference contest Dec. 21.
Jackson knocked down 6-of-11 attempts from beyond the arc in the victory for the Falcons, who are ranked No. 10 in the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) NCAA Division II poll. Montevallo (9-1 overall, 2-1 in Peach Belt Conference) outrebounded the Saints 49-34 in the win.
Senior Orlando Brazier added 14 points and seven rebounds.
Troran Brown and Silas Mills each contributed a double-double in the victory. Brown, who has scored in double figures in each game this season, registered his fourth double-double of the season with 14 points and 11 assists. Mills posted his first double-double of the season and the third of his career with 11 points and game-high 12 boards in the win.
Junior Ed'Lexus Collier contributed 10 points and five rebounds. Junior Larry Slaughter chipped in five points and three boards.
The Falcons raced out to a 38-18 lead at halftime.
Montevallo opened the game with a commanding 36-9 run, capped with an offensive rebound and tip in by Mills with 3:58 remaining in the first half.
The Saints closed the half with a 9-2 run, capped with a 3-pointer by Jerrell Oxendine with 40 seconds remaining in the opening half.
Montevallo doubled up Flagler following a free throw by Slaughter with 15:11 remaining in the game, which gave the Falcons a 48-24 advantage.
The Saints trimmed the deficit to 59-43 following a pair of free throws by Keith Matthews with 7:45 left in the game. However, the Falcons quickly pushed their lead back to 20 points following an offensive rebound and tip in by Brazier with 5:17 remaining, which gave Montevallo a 65-45 lead.
Flagler chipped away at the Falcons' lead down the stretch but couldn't cut the margin to single digits.
The Falcons return to action Saturday, Jan. 4 with another conference game at home against Lander University.
Tip-off at Trustmark Arena is set for 3:30 p.m.
