If you were at any of the final three games of the regular season for William Peace University men’s basketball, you were in for a treat.
Even though two out of those three games were losses for the Pacers, this team has a lot to be excited about heading into next season.
The Pacers were able to win the back and forth affair against Methodist, ranked second in the East Division of the USA South.
They won 83-74 Feb. 10 with sophomore forward Trey Bryant finishing with 20 points and 7 rebounds. Smith Gupton, freshman, also had a lot to do with that win, scoring 17 points and going 5 for 11 at the 3 point line.
The Pacers followed the win against Methodist with a loss in a double overtime thriller against Averett Feb. 15. Tyson Sellers had a sensational game scoring 30 points on 45 percent shooting. Trey Bryant had another good game as well, finishing the game with a double double. The final score was a close score of 103-101.
The season wrapped up in Greensboro Feb. 17 with a close loss to Greensboro College. The final score was 88-84.
Bryant tacked on his second straight double double, and Mikal Gaylord had 17 points on 55 percent shooting. Sharpshooter Gupton made 3 of 5 shots from 3-point land.
This team has a lot to look forward to looking on to the conference tournament, but more specifically looking on to next season. This is an extremely young Pacers team, not having one senior this year. They will return with what seems to be a very promising group of players.
Next year they will bring back a more experienced and no doubt, very motivated group. They showed a very strong ability to score, a make a come-back, and hang with good teams offensively.
The challenge for the Pacers going forward will be improving defensive efficiency, as well as reducing turnovers. If they can accomplish this and further deepen and improve on the roster, there is no reason why they shouldn’t be one of the top teams in the USA South in years to come.