All five starters scored in double-figures, including 18 from Walt Allen and 16 from Jake Troyli, as the Presbyterian College men's basketball team avenged an early season loss to Liberty with a 73-66 win in action tonight in front of 702 fans at the Templeton Center in Clinton, S.C.
The Blue Hose end the season 13-18 overall and 7-11 in the Big South for their best mark since making the move to NCAA Division I.
The Blue Hose honored Allen in pre-game ceremonies as part of senior night and he responded with 18 points, just one shy of his career-high of 19 which he set in Thursday's 80-74 loss to VMI.
After leading 14-10 with 11:36 remaining in the first half, the Blue Hose shooting went cold as Liberty (19-12, 13-5) used an 11-0 run over the next five-and-a-half minutes to build a 21-14 lead with 5:51 on the clock. PC's Josh Jonson (Hendersonville, Tenn.) ended the drought with a three-pointer, one of his three on the night, at 4:44, as the Blue Hose outscored the Flames 14-5 in the waning minutes of the half, retaking the lead at the 31 second mark off a three-pointer by Ryan Hargrave (Taylorsville, N.C.) to hold the 28-26 margin at intermission.
Presbyterian College opened the second half with a 20-6 run, paced by seven from Allen, and led by its largest margin of the game at 16, 48-32, with 12:10 on the clock. Liberty cut the margin to five on a couple of occasions the remainder of the half, including with just 1:13 to go, but the Flames couldn't get any closer, scoring just three more points down the stretch to fall by seven, 73-66.
Following Allen's 18 points and Troyli's 16 was Khalid Mutakabbir (Suwanee, Ga.) with 13 and Pierre Miller (Warner Robbins, Ga.) and Johnson with 11. Troyli had five rebounds to lead the team as well.
David Minaya led the Flames with 18 points and was followed by Jeremy Anderson with 14. Leading in rebounding for Liberty was John Brown with seven to go along with his 13 points.
PC edged Liberty in field goal percentage, 47.9-47.8 and had three fewer turnovers, 10-13. The Flames held the 32-26 advantage in rebounds. The Blue Hose had a tremendous night from beyond the three-point arc, connecting on 10-of-23 attempts. Liberty was four-of-12.
