Rivera led the Falcons (27-7) with 19 points while also dishing out seven assists in the region tournament title game, but reserve guard Jonas Brown made the difference in the second half with Anderson trying to make a comeback.

Brown, who poured in 17 points off the bench on 5-of-10 shooting from beyond the arc, scored 14 points in the second half to keep the Falcons’ comfortable lead intact.

“(Brown) caught fire,” said Montevallo coach Danny Young, who has taken the Falcons to all three Elite Eight appearances in school history. “He made so many shots he got tired and had to be taken out of the game.”

Antoine Davis, who joined Rivera on the all-tournament team, added 12 points and a team-high eight assists. Drico Hightower and Marvin Fitzgerald, who led the Falcons with seven rebounds, contributed 10 points each in the victory.

Ryan May chipped in nine points, while DeMarcus Catchings finished with seven points. Jeff Hefner added two points off the bench, while Travis DeShazior handed out three assists. Reserve forward Jervan Jackson grabbed three boards in the win.