Falcons Advance to Their Fifth NCAA Regional Final

AUGUSTA, Ga. – The University of Montevallo men’s basketball team (25-7) used a 88-71 win over USC Aiken (20-11) to advance to their fifth NCAA Regional Final in as many tries. This is the fifth regional final under current head coach Danny Young in just seven seasons. The Falcons will take on the winner of the Augusta State and Anderson game on Tuesday, March 16 at 7 p.m. (EST).  

UM avenged the loss to USC Aiken in the Peach Belt Conference Championship game by pulling away late with a 17-1 run midway through the second half. The Falcons were led by senior point guard Mark Plaza (San Diego, Calif./Chula Vista) who scored a career-high 23 points and tied the UM NCAA record for most free throws made in a game and free throw percentage in a game as he went 13-for-13 from the charity stripe.

The Falcons had five players in double-figures including Plaza. Senior Freddy Little (Raleigh, N.C./Bunn) scored 15 points while Gerald January (Macon, Ga./Westside) had 12 points. Little added five rebounds while January had a team-high six. Juniors Cecil Coleman (Tampa, Fla./Tampa Bay Tech) and Tauras Dortch (Ensley, Ala./Ramsay) each had 11 points. 

The Falcons shot a season-high 93.5 percent from the free throw line as they hit 29-of-31 shots from the charity stripe. UM was also hot from the field as they knocked down 28-of-51 shots good for 54.9 percent. UM held the Pacers to 39.3 percent shooting from the field while the Pacers hit just 76.2 percent from the charity stripe.

UM outscored the Pacers 36-16 in the paint and used 17 Aiken turnovers to win the points off turnover battle 21-15. 

The first half was back-and-forth with neither team getting a large advantage. A jumper by Dortch just 11 seconds into the game gave the Falcons their first lead of the contest 2-0. A three-pointer by Re’mon Nelson gave the Pacers their first lead at the 16:25 mark as they took a 6-4 advantage. UM and USCA began to trade baskets over the next 13 minutes as the lead changed six times and the score was tied eight times. UM used a late 4-0 run to take a 39-35 lead into halftime.

UM opened up the second half with a 7-2 run to open up a nine-point lead and that lead remained intact for the rest of the game as UM led the entire second half. A 9-4 run with 8:38 left in the game cut the Falcons lead to one at 64-63 but UM immediately responded with a 17-1 run of their own that put the game out of reach. The Falcons hit their free throws down the stretch and ended the game up 88-71.