Box Score ST. AUGUSTINE – Armstrong Atlantic State University shot a red-hot 61.1% from the field for the game and held off a late rally by Flagler College for a 92-89 win in a Peach Belt Conference East Division men's basketball game Saturday afternoon at Flagler Gymnasium.

Armstrong snapped a two-game losing streak and improved to 8-15 overall and 5-11 in the Peach Belt. Flagler lost its second game in a row and dropped to 10-12 overall and 4-11 in conference play. The Saints remain one game back of fourth place, the last spot to qualify for the conference tournament, with four games left to play.

The Pirates held a 46-45 lead at the half after shooting 62.5% (20-32) from the field. The Saints kept close by shooting 46.9% (15-32) from the field and sank seven 3-pointers.

Armstrong widened the gap to 10 (66-56) on a 3-pointer by Kyle Callanan with 12:40 left to play. The lead swelled to 13 (77-64) after Emmanuel Tiluscar made the second of two free throws with 6:59 left.

But Flagler went on a 13-2 run over the next 2:44 to pull to within two points (79-77) after a pair of free throws by Keith Matthews with 3:59 left to play. Flagler had a chance to tie after a turnover by Callanan, but the 35-second shot clock expired giving the ball back to the Pirates.

Later, a 3-pointer by Dennis Diaz got the Saints back to within a basket (91-89) with two seconds left. Tiluscar made the first of two free throws with one second left.

Matthews led five Saints in double figures with 21 points and added seven rebounds. Adam Jones added 15 points, a team-high eight rebounds and four steals while Diaz tacked on 14 points. Matt Conway came off the bench to tally 14 points. Jerrell Oxendine chipped in with 13 points and five assists. Richard Brown tallied a team-high six assists.

The Saints forced 15 turnovers that led to 18 points.

Darius Morales scored a game-high 24 points on 11 of 15 shooting from the field. Eric Eversley recorded a double-double with 22 points and 12 rebounds. Tiluscar added 12 points and six assists. Hichem Benayad-Cherif tacked on 11 points.

Armstrong out-rebounded Flagler 38-24.

Flagler takes on No. 17 (NABC/Division II Top 25) USC Aiken on Monday (Feb. 17) at Aiken at 7:30 p.m.

Armstrong vs Flagler
02/15/14 3:58 pm at St. Augustine, Fla. (Flagler Gym)
At St. Augustine, Fla. (Flagler Gym)

ARMSTRONG 92, FLAGLER 89

ARMSTRONG (8-15, 5-11 PBC)
Darius Morales 11-15 2-3 24; Eric Eversley 7-11 8-9 22; Emmanuel Tiluscar
3-10 5-8 12; Hichem Benayad-Cheri 4-5 2-2 11; Montel Baines 3-5 2-2 8; Kyle
Callanan 2-3 1-4 6; Kenny Bellinger II 2-3 0-0 5; Shema Sabiiti 0-0 2-2 2;
Kelcey Walker 1-1 0-0 2; Carlos Brown 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 33-54 22-30 92.

FLAGLER (10-12, 4-11 PBC)
Keith Matthews 6-10 9-10 21; Adam Jones 4-10 4-4 15; Dennis Diaz 5-11 0-0
14; Matt Conway 5-10 1-1 14; Jerrell Oxendine 3-10 4-4 13; Richard Brown 2-7
2-2 7; Desmond Gibson 2-3 1-2 5; Lydell Manigo 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 27-63 21-23
89.

Armstrong.....................   46   46  -   92
Flagler.......................   45   44  -   89

3-point goals--Armstrong 4-11 (Kyle Callanan 1-2; Emmanuel Tiluscar 1-5;
Hichem Benayad-Cheri 1-1; Kenny Bellinger II 1-1; Carlos Brown 0-1; Eric
Eversley 0-1), Flagler 14-32 (Dennis Diaz 4-7; Matt Conway 3-7; Adam Jones
3-4; Jerrell Oxendine 3-8; Richard Brown 1-4; Keith Matthews 0-2). Fouled
out--Armstrong-None, Flagler-None. Rebounds--Armstrong 38 (Eric Eversley
12), Flagler 24 (Adam Jones 8). Assists--Armstrong 25 (Kyle Callanan 6;
Emmanuel Tiluscar 6), Flagler 20 (Richard Brown 6). Total fouls--Armstrong
19, Flagler 22. Technical fouls--Armstrong-None, Flagler-None. A-241