FROM STAFF REPORTS

The University of Montevallo men’s basketball team led by just three points at halftime on the road at Flagler College, but the Falcons came out in the second half and outscored the Saints by more than 20 points in the second half after posting a school-record 61 points in a half to coast to a 96-61 victory in a Peach Belt Conference contest Jan. 21.

The Falcons’ 61 points is the most points scored by a Montevallo squad in a half in a conference game. The Falcons have scored more than 61 points in a half five times since they joined the , never in a conference contest.

Montevallo (14-4 overall, 5-2 in Peach Belt Conference) was led by senior D.J. Rivera, who poured in 23 points. Junior Danny Cummins scored 13 points in just 10 minutes of action, while junior Drico Hightower added 13 points and 12 boards for his first double-double in a Montevallo uniform.

Junior Jonas Brown added 11 points, including three 3-pointers. Rivera led the team in steals with four, while senior Antoine Davis led the team in assists with eight. He also chipped in nine points.

The Falcons shot 49.2 percent from the field including 65.6 percent in the second half. Montevallo also hit 41.2 percent from beyond the three-point arc despite shooting just 16.7 percent in the first half. Flagler shot just 35.2 percent from the field and 10.0 percent from three-point range. Both teams shot right around 65 percent from the free throw line in a game that featured 71 free throw attempts.

Montevallo dominated the glass out-rebounding the Saints 55-30 and outscored Flagler 48-32 in the paint. Montevallo also used a 38-16 advantage in points off turnovers despite only having two fewer turnovers than the Saints.

The Falcons trailed by as many as eight points in the first half but a late run gave Montevallo a three-point halftime lead. Montevallo opened the second half with a 14-0 run and never looked back as they steadily increased their lead. Montevallo’s largest lead came at the 3:21 mark of the second half as they held a 37-point advantage.

The Falcons will return to action Thursday, Jan. 26 at 7:30 p.m. as they host USC-Aiken in another Peach Belt Conference contest.