MONTEVALLO, Ala.  – The Montevallo men's basketball team defeated AUM 98-96 behind a game-winning three-pointer from James McNeil with 2.1 seconds remaining on the clock.
 
After falling behind 96-98 with 18 seconds to go, McNeil drilled a dead-center three-pointer, assisted by Braxton Bertolette, to push the Falcons ahead with just two seconds remaining. A missed three-pointer at the buzzer from the Warhawks sealed the home win.
 
Montevallo led by five, 95-90, with 2:22 to go but were held scoreless, until McNeil's game-winning three, as the Warhawks went on a 6-0 run to take the lead.
 
In a back-and-forth high-scoring offensive affair there were 16 lead changes and 11 ties. Montevallo led for nearly 18 minutes in the contest.
 
Montevallo held its largest lead in the second half with 6:21 to go by six points, 83-77, following a Jaylon Tharpe three-pointer.
AUM's largest lead came in the first half as the visitors led by seven, 31-24, at the 10:07 mark. A three with 47 seconds remaining in half from Shifflett evened the score, 52-52, at the break, completing a seven-point comeback.
 
Bertolette led the Falcons with 26 points and three boards. All five starters scored in double-figures as Tyler Moore and Aidan Gardiner each added 19 while Mason Shifflett and McNeil scored 13 and 12, respectively.

 
Game Information

Score: Montevallo 98, AUM 96
Records: Montevallo (7-9, 5-7 GSC), AUM (7-9, 5-7 GSC)
Location: Montevallo, Ala. | Trustmark Arena
 
 

GAME NOTES

• Bertolette led a group of five players in double-figures with 26 points.
• Tyler Moore scored 19 points to go along with seven boards, a team-high seven assists and two steals.
• Aidan Gardiner scored a career-high 19 points and totaled six boards.
• Mason Shifflett scored 13 points and registered a team-high nine rebounds.
• McNeil added 12 points, including the game-winner, to go along with two steals and three rebounds.
• Montevallo was outrebounded by AUM, 39-35, but held a 14-11 advantage on the offensive glass that resulted in 13 second chance points.
• The Falcons won the turnover battle, 14-19 and scored 22 points from Warhawk turnovers.
• Both team's shot well from the field AUM finished at 55.6 percent and Montevallo at 47.3 percent. From deep, Montevallo narrowly edged AUM, 44.4 percent to 42.9 percent.
• Montevallo has scored 98 points on more in the last three games, marking the first time since the 06-07 season.
• Montevallo continues to lead the league in free-throw shooting at 80.6 percent on the year and shot 84.2 percent, 16-of-19, from the line in tonight's contest.

Up Next: Montevallo hits the road for a mid-week matchup with in-state rival West Alabama at 7 p.m. on Jan. 11, in Livingston, Ala.