MONTEVALLO, Ala. – The Montevallo men's basketball team won their seventh straight game Saturday afternoon. Trailing in the final minute, Troran Brown hit four free throws to close out the game, and the Falcons rallied to beat the Clayton State Lakers, 73-71.
Clayton State started off the game hot and led almost the entire first half. At one point, they had a 14 point lead over Montevallo.
The Falcons were able to rally towards the end of the half, though, and a buzzer beating layup by Brown made the gap just five as the teams went to the locker rooms.
Brown was the star of the first half for the Falcons. The junior from Phoenix, Arizona accounted for 18 of the team's 33 points in the first 20 minutes. He was 7-13 from the field and 4-8 from three-point range.
After halftime, Montevallo quickly cut into the Clayton State lead, trailing by just one point a little over a minute into the second frame.
However, the Falcons could not overtake the lead until there was just 6:07 remaining in regulation. They did not have the lead for long, as a three-pointer by Kelsey Terry put the Lakers back in front.
Clayton State stayed ahead until the final minute of play. After Brown was fouled, he hit both of his free throws to even the score.
The Falcons then got a defensive stop that was punctuated by a rebound from Ed'Lexus Collier. The Falcons then had a golden opportunity with possession of the ball and the shot clock turned off.
Brown again drew a foul and again sank both free throws.
Clayton State was able to draw a foul with .6 seconds remaining and Terry went to the line with an opportunity to tie the game up. However, he missed his first attempt and was forced to miss the second in order for his team to have a chance at a put back and overtime. Unfortunately for CSU, Montevallo secured the rebound and emerged victorious.
Overall, Brown had 31 points and played all 40 minutes. He was 9-18 from the field, 4-8 from three, and 8-9 at the line. He also had seven assists and five steals.
Collier put in quality minutes off the bench, scoring 10 points in just 15 minutes. Collier was 4-5 from the field and grabbed five rebounds.
Orlando Brazier led the Falcons with eight rebounds. He also had 12 points.
The Falcons will look for the eighth straight win this Monday. They will take on Young Harris in a game that was originally scheduled for January 30th, but was delayed due to winter weather.
Tip-off from Trustmark Arena is scheduled for approximately 7:00 p.m.
