Box Score The No. 6 seeded LaGrange College Panthers battled through the final eight minutes to defeat the No. 4 seeded Maryville College Scots by the score of 70-64 to earn the 2015 USA South men's basketball championship.
A 29-29 tie at the half, LaGrange capitalized on MC miscues in the second half converting 11 points off turnovers.
A 51-51 game was tied for the eighth and final time with a pair of Spencer Shoffner free throws at the 8:02 mark. Each and every possession the Scots answered LaGrange's lead until the 4:30 mark when Mark Wagner deposited a three-pointer expanding the Panther lead to 62-56. A Calvin Songster trey with 51 seconds remaining brought MC to within a bucket (66-64), but LaGrange took advantage of a MC turnover and knocked down three consecutive free throws to seal the victory.
LaGrange (17-11) earned the league title and bid to the NCAA national tournament behind tournament MVP Nick Mitchell's game-high 28 points. Mitchell hit 9-of-18 shots from the floor while sinking 10-for-14 shots from the charity stripe. Justyn Olson added 16 points for the Panthers.
Maryville (15-13) was paced by All-Tournament selections Jaumonee Byrd and Calvin Songster. Byrd was 7-for-12 from the field for 20 points while grabbing seven rebounds. Songster dropped four treys en route to a 12-point effort. Junior Logan Brewer was strong in the paint adding 12 points.
The tournament victory is LaGrange's second consecutive league men's basketball title.
The 2015 USA South Men's Basketball All-Tournament Team
Bradley Robinson, Averett
Justyn Olson, LaGrange
Jaumonee Byrd, Maryville
Mark Wagner, LaGrange
Calvin Songster, Maryville
Nick Mitchell, LaGrange (MVP)
Tournament Action Recap:
First Round - Thursday, February 26, 2015
#6 LaGrange - 73 #3 Piedmont - 63
#7 Methodist - 90 #2 William Peace - 72
#5 Greensboro - 71 #4 Maryville - 81
#8 Covenant - 61 #1 Averett - 67
Semifinals - Friday, February 27, 2015
#6 LaGrange - 104 #7 Methodist - 90
#4 Maryville - 64 #1 Averett - 62
Finals - Saturday, February 28, 2015
#6 LaGrange - 70 #4 Maryville - 64
