Pacers Finish Season with Battle Over Salem

Raleigh, NC -- The Peace College (10-15) basketball squad closed out the season with a 69-59 battle over rival Salem College (9-13).  The teams played a close game with 16 lead changes during regulation.  Peace held just a one point lead with 3:10 remaining but scored the final nine points to seal the double-digit victory on Senior Day.

Salem hit three from behind the arc in the final 2:34 of the first half to enter the break up by three points.  And the visitors came out of the locker room in the opening minutes of the second half and pushed that lead to eight.

Angel Fuller picked up a steal at 15:57 that led to a three from Megan Sherrill.  Sherrill hit another bucket to cut the Spirit's lead to just three with 12 minutes remaining.  Leading Pacer scorer Brenna Mickey laid one in during the next possession and earned a free throw on the foul.  On the next offensive run she picked up her own rebound and hit two more from the stripe to chip away at the lead.

Margaret Minton drilled back-to-back jumpers to put Peace in front by three with nine minutes left in the game.

Salem's Kelsey Rector pushed her team back on top with aggressive play, but the Pacers persevered. 

Minton gave her team the lead again at 6:26 and Peace maintained control to the buzzer.

Mickey tallied a career-high 17 points in her final game as a Pacer, adding a team-high nine rebounds and four steals.  Sherrill extended her career-high to 14 points in today's win, including 2-2 from the behind the arc.  LeAnne Horne completed her career with eight points and four steals.  Megan Bridges matched her career-high seven assists, adding three steals for Peace.

Rector led Salem with 17 points, and Michaela Michaux grabbed 11 rebounds, adding 12 points for the only double-double on the day.

The Pacers closed out the 2009-2010 season with today's win and celebrated the four seniors before tipoff.  The team also thanked Warren Bingham, the first-man of Peace, with a signed basketball for his years of support and commentary on the Pacer broadcast alongside Patrick Johnson. 

Join the Pacers Friday and Saturday, February 26-27, at Wachovia Athletic Field for Peace College Softball's Triangle Combat Classic.  The Pacers host Agnes Scott, Sweet Briar, and Wilson Colleges in this invitational tournament.  Games begin at 9:30 am each day.  Click here to follow the action on the field.  See you on the sidelines!