SCORE

Montevallo 98, Flagler 87

RECORD

Montevallo (17-8 overall, 13-5 in Peach Belt Conference)

Flagler (8-19 overall, 3-15 in Peach Belt Conference)

LOCATION

Trustmark Arena (Montevallo, Alabama)

HOW IT HAPPENED

Montevallo senior Bryant Orange flirted with a triple-double with 29 points, eight rebounds and nine assists as the Falcons remained in the hunt for a fifth consecutive Peach Belt Conference West Division championship with a 98-87 win over visiting Flagler at Trustmark Arena.

A 3-pointer by the Saints' Vaughn McCall with 15:30 remaining in the opening half helped Flagler keep the game close in the early stages before a 9-0 run by the Falcons, capped with a 3-pointer by Orange, gave Montevallo its first double-digit lead at 21-10 with 13:05 left in the half.

The Falcons led by as many as 12 points following a 3-pointer by senior Terrell Lipkins, which gave Montevallo a 24-12 advantage with 11:33 remaining in the first half.

Flagler stormed back in the final 11 minutes and closed the opening half with a 25-13 run, capped with a 3-pointer by McCall at the buzzer, to tie the game at 37-37 heading into the locker room at halftime.

A 3-pointer by Orange with 14:50 remaining in the game capped a 17-8 run to open the second half by the Falcons and gave Montevallo a 54-45 advantage. A three-point play by junior Kevin Kelly with 12:27 left in the second half pushed the Falcons' lead to 62-49.

Montevallo took its largest lead in the game following a layup by senior Tevin Worthy with 6:44 remaining in the game, which gave the Falcons a 78-60 advantage.

A 3-pointer by McCall with 2:59 remaining in the contest trimmed the Falcons' lead to single digits at 86-77. A layup by Orange moments later pushed the Falcons' lead back to double digits as Montevallo held off the Saints down the stretch.

STAT OF THE GAME

Montevallo scored a season-high 61 points in the second half, marking the most points scored in a single half by the Falcons this season.

BEYOND THE NUMBERS

Senior Bryant Orange scored a career-high 29 points on 10-of-13 shooting from the floor, including 3-of-5 shooting from beyond the arc, while knocking down 6-of-7 attempts at the charity stripe.

Senior Terrell Lipkins made a season-high six 3-point field goals as he finished 6-of-11 from beyond the arc in the victory.

Junior Kevin Kelly made a career-high nine free throws as he finished 9-of-9 at the free-throw line in the win.

UP NEXT

Montevallo will close out the regular season with a trip to Young Harris, Georgia to take on Young Harris College in Peach Belt Conference play. The Falcons defeated the Mountain Lions 79-59 in the first meeting between the two teams this season. Tip off is set for 7:30 p.m. Eastern/6:30 p.m. Central.