RALEIGH, N.C. – Centre men's basketball pulled out an 83-74 victory in overtime Friday afternoon at William Peace, getting career highs in scoring from three individuals inside the Hermann Athletic Center.
Dustin Gerald totaled 29 points,
RJ Smith had 24 and
Chez Moore finished with 15 in the victory – each good for a career high.
The Colonels move to 5-4 overall while dropping the Pacers to 3-5 in the first ever meeting between the two programs.
HIGHLIGHTS
- A sluggish start from both sides saw six combined turnovers and only two made field goals by the first media break.
- Gerald helped Centre find traction on offense, scoring seven early points to give the visitors a 15-11 advantage midway through the period.
- William Peace used a 9-2 stretch to regain a brief lead, but Gerald helped power the Colonels in a back-and-forth finish to the half.
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Carter Baughman connected on a 3-pointer near the final buzzer to give Centre a 35-34 halftime lead. Gerald scored 16 in the period.
- The Pacers used a 12-4 run to gain control at the start of the second half.
- Near the midway point of the frame,
Noah Ring sank a 3-pointer off a
Drew Wilson assist to reclaim a 53-52 lead for Centre.
- Beau Bryant – grandson of Centre's own Hall of Fame coach, Tom Bryant – led the Pacers back on top as the second half reached the home stretch.
- With Centre trailing 68-65 and only 24 seconds on the clock,
Jalen Williams stepped up and drained a clutch 3-pointer to tie the game. Smith swatted a layup attempt from the Pacers on the other end to help force overtime.
- Centre dominated the extra session, outscoring William Peace 15-6. The Colonels held the Pacers to just 1 of 8 from the field, and on the other end sank 9 of 11 free throws to put the game away.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Gerald shot 10 of 18 overall and 9 of 11 from the charity stripe to surpass his previous career high of 23 points, adding five rebounds and two assists.
- Smith was an efficient 8-for-12 from the floor, hitting 8 of 11 free throws to best his prior personal high of 22. He also recorded 12 rebounds, marking his fourth double-double of the season.
- Moore's 15 points came on a 7-for-12 shooting effort. The sophomore added 13 boards – six more than his previous career best.
- Centre shot 50% or better as a team for the third consecutive game, going 30 of 59 overall. Defensively, the Colonels held the Pacers to just 33% (23-70) overall and 24% (9-37) from long range.
- The Colonels held a sizeable 47-32 rebounding advantage and also turned in a massive 52-18 edge in points in the paint.
UP NEXT
Centre is off for 12 days, returning to the court Dec. 29 against Piedmont at the Oglethorpe Christmas Classic in Atlanta.
