FROM STAFF REPORTS

MONTEVALLO – Senior forwards Drico Hightower and Marvin Fitzgerald each posted a double-double to lead the University of Montevallo men’s basketball team to a 82-66 win over non-conference foe Tuskegee University at BankTrust Arena on Nov. 27.

Hightower led the Falcons (3-1) with 22 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the floor and a 10-of-15 performance at the charity stripe in the victory. Hightower also grabbed 10 rebounds in the win.

Fitzgerald added 17 points after knocking down 5-of-11 field goals and 7-of-8 free throws. Fitzgerald pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds in the win.

Senior Jonas Brown contributed 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting from the floor, including a 3-of-6 performance from beyond the arc. Sophomore Troran Brown finished 6-of-13 from the floor and 2-of-3 from 3-point range as he chipped in 16 points and a team-high seven assists in the victory.

Junior Silas Mills contributed seven points and six rebounds off the bench.

The Falcons opened the first half with a commanding 26-2 run, capped with  a pair of free throws by Fitzgerald with 11:19 remaining in the opening half.

Tuskegee trimmed the deficit to seven points at halftime, 35-28, following a 3-pointer by Javier McKinney in the final minute of the first half.

The Falcons pushed their lead back to double digits following a pair of free throws by Fitzgerald, which gave Montevallo a 47-36 lead with 15:47 left in the game. Tuskegee cut the deficit to six points on two occasions, the last time following a layup by Calvin Thomas to trim the Falcons’ lead to 47-41 with 15:10 left in the game.

Montevallo responded with a 12-3 run, capped with a pair of free throws by Hightower with 9:17 remaining in the game, and coasted down the stretch on its way to a 16-point victory.

The Falcons return to action Dec. 1 with a trip to Tuscaloosa, Ala. to face Stillman College in a non-conference game. The game will tip off at 7:30 p.m. on the Shelton State Community College campus due to ongoing renovations at Stillman’s on-campus gym.

Montevallo defeated Stillman 79-76 in overtime at BankTrust Arena in its season opener Nov. 13.