By Douglas Kidd
The Pacers men’s basketball team’s “revenge season” did not start as planned after their heartbreaking loss in the 2023 USA South championship game last year. However, the Pacers are looking to sneak into the playoffs and make a run with five games remaining in the regular season.
“Any time you come off of a winning season the team has high expectations for the following year,” said Beau Bryant, a senior on the team. “We returned a lot of guys and needless to say we have dropped a couple games that we felt we should have won, but we are staying positive and continuing to put in the work everyday waiting for it to show in the win column.”
Although the Pacers are under five hundred in the later end of the season, many of their losses have come from Division I opponents such as UNC Greensboro and Elon. Other losses have come from top twenty-five ranked teams such as Guilford, Virginia Wesleyan, and Hampton Syndey who have already knocked off defending national champions Christopher Newport.
“We have played a particularly tough schedule, these games have prepared in many ways: the physicality, intensity, and playing against overall better teams will help us be more equipped during the homestretch of the season,” said Bryant.
Even with the bumps in the road, the Pacers have much to be proud of this season. The Pacers were able to get revenge from the 2023 USA South championship game against NC Wesleyan. The Pacers were also able to knock off top opponent Averett who is consistently in the top twenty-five in Danville, Virginia with a tough win. Bryant also broke the program’s men’s basketball career scoring record with 1,202 also.
High level performers for the Pacers this season have been Timothy Pettiford who averages 15.4 points per game, 5.3 rebounds per game, and 2.5 assists per game. Bryant has been right with Pettiford with 13.1 points per game, 7.2 rebounds per game, and 3.9 assists per game.
The conference has also honored the Pacers by naming Bryant USA South player of the week and Ryan Lominack as USA South rookie of the week.
“The team has truly embraced the mindset of controlling what we can control and living with the result,” said Bryant. “Many variables are out of our hands and we try not to get caught up in the things that we cannot manage.”
With most teams having played eight conference games other than Pfieffer, Brevard and WPU. Mary Baldwin stands on top of the conference with a 6-2 record with NC Wesleyan and Greensboro tied for second with a 5-3 record. Our Pacers currently stand in sixth with a 43-5 conference record.
With five games remaining in the regular season, the Pacers not only have a chance to make the playoffs but have the ability to move up the rankings. With some momentum off a big win against NC Wesleyan the Pacers can challenge conference opponents to host a playoff game in the first round.
The future will be tough for the Pacers as four of their five games are above them in the conference table including first place Mary Baldwin and second place Greensboro. However, Bryant is starting to heat up with 24 points against Pfieffer and fifteen points against NC Wesleyan. Pettiford is also playing at his best scoring twenty plus points in his past three games.
There is still time to catch the Pacers in action on the court as three of their next five games are in Raleigh and hopefully the Pacers can snatch a home playoff game. Bryant believes that the message to the team coming towards the end of the regular season is “to play free, ignore the standings and what others are saying. Play for achievement and not for relief.”
Senior night will also be on Saturday February 10 at 4 p.m. against Southern Virginia. The Pacers will be honoring six seniors, including Tyler Parton, Donolique Tyrell, Tim Aydlett, Malachi Borders, Pettiford, and Bryant. Come out to the Hermann Athletic Center on campus and support our Pacers before their season ends.
All Statistics and information from William Peace University Athletics and USASouth.net