FROM STAFF REPORTS

MONTEVALLO – University of Montevallo sophomore Troran Brown scored a career-high 30 points as he led the Falcons to a 83-72 win over visiting Francis Marion University in a Peach Belt Conference contest Jan. 19 at BankTrust Arena.

Brown knocked down a career-high 12 field goals as he finished 12-of-18 from the floor, including 4-of-8 from beyond the arc. Brown, who finished 2-of-4 at the charity stripe, also grabbed three rebounds and dished out four assists in the victory.

Montevallo improved to 10-5 overall and 6-2 in Peach Belt Conference play with the win.

Senior Drico Hightower continued to push his field-goal percentage closer to a school record as he added 23 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the floor and a 9-of-12 performance at the charity stripe. Hightower, who grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds as he posted his fifth double-double of the season, is currently less than one percentage point away from Kantonio Davis’ school record 65.7 shooting percentage during the 2001-2002 season.

Senior Travis DeShazior chipped in a career-high 10 points in his second starting assignment in place of injured senior guard Jonas Brown. DeShazior, who finished 4-of-6 from the floor and 2-of-3 beyond the arc, grabbed five boards.

Senior Marvin Fitzgerald contributed seven points, eight rebounds and four assists. Senior Danny Cummins chipped in six points off the bench. Sophomore Ryan May added five points, while junior Silas Mills finished with two points and five rebounds off the bench.

The Falcons continued their recent trend of getting off to a fast start. The Falcons opened the game with a 27-10 run, capped with a 3-pointer by Cummins with 7:18 remaining in the first half. Montevallo pushed its lead to as many as 19 points, with Brown knocking down a jumper to give the Falcons a 35-16 lead with 3:13 left in the opening half.

The Falcons carried a 42-27 lead into the locker room at halftime after Evrik Gary added three free throws with 22 seconds remaining in the half to trim the deficit to 15 points.

Montevallo pushed its lead back to 51-33 early in the second half following a layup by Brown with 17:12 remaining in the game. Francis Marion slowly climbed its way back into the game, with a 3-pointer by Gary capping a 9-0 run by the Patriots, which cut the Falcons’ lead to 59-56 with 9:10 left in the second half.

The Falcons responded by  pushing their lead back to double digits following a layup by Mills with 5:43 remaining in the game, which gave Montevallo a 68-58 advantage. A 3-pointer by the Patriots’ Tyler Deihl cut the Falcons’ lead to 70-63 with just under five minutes left in the game, but Francis Marion couldn’t get any closer down the stretch.