FROM STAFF REPORTS

MONTEVALLO – The University of Montevallo men’s basketball team took advantage of a sizeable advantage in the post in a 69-49 win over visiting Georgia College in a Peach Belt Conference contest Feb. 7 at BankTrust Arena.

The Falcons (15-6 overall, 11-3 in Peach Belt Conference) outrebounded the Bobcats 48-26, including a 18-8 advantage on the offensive boards. Montevallo also continued its streak of hot shooting from beyond the arc as it knocked down 7-of-14 shots from 3-point range.

The Falcons entered the game No. 2 nationally in NCAA Division II with a 43.4 shooting percentage from beyond the arc, which keeps the team on pace to break the school record set during the 2005-2006 season.

Junior Silas Mills led Montevallo with 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the floor. Mills also grabbed a career-high 15 rebounds, including a game-high six offensive rebounds, as he posted his first double-double of his career.

Senior Travis DeShazior and sophomore Troran Brown added 12 points each. DeShazior finished 4-of-6 from the floor, including 2-of-3 from beyond the arc. Troran Brown, who dished out a team-high five assists, knocked down 4-of-8 shots from the floor and 4-of-4 attempts at the free-throw line.

Senior Jonas Brown contributed 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting from the field, including 3-of-5 from 3-point range. Sophomore Ryan May drained 2-of-3 attempts from beyond the arc on his way to nine points.

Senior Drico Hightower added eight points, while seniors Jeff Hefner and Danny Cummins chipped in two points each. Hefner grabbed a season-high seven rebounds.

The Falcons opened the game with a 19-4 run, capped with a jumper by Hightower with 13:01 remaining in the first half. Montevallo led by as many as 16 points on three separate occasions in the opening half. May knocked down a 3-pointer with 1:35 left in the half to give the Falcons a 40-24 advantage before the Bobcats cut the deficit to 13 points at the break.

Montevallo pushed its lead to 17 points in the opening minute of the second half following a 3-pointer by May and a pair of free throws by Hightower, which gave the Falcons a 45-28 lead.

The Falcons led by 19 points following a layup by Mills with 9:46 left in the game, which gave Montevallo a 53-34 advantage.

The Bobcats made one final run to cut the deficit to 59-47 following a 3-pointer by Scott Ferguson with 5:27 left in the game. However, the Falcons quickly answered with back-to-back baskets by Cummins and Mills to end any hopes of a Georgia College comeback.

During halftime, student-athletes that earned postseason honors last fall were recognized for their performance, including the Montevallo men’s soccer team for winning the Peach Belt Conference Tournament championship.

Montevallo returns to action Saturday, Feb. 9 with a road contest against Clayton State University in Peach Belt Conference play in Morrow, Ga. Tip off is set for 4:30 p.m. CST.