GREENSBORO, N.C. – The Greensboro College men's basketball team improved to 3-0 in USA South Athletic Conference play for the first time since 2003-2004 with an 80-67 victory over Covenant College Saturday.
 
Neither team was able to pull away in the first half until Greensboro (9-4, 3-0 USA South) used a 7-0 run to take a 24-18 lead. Darus Maddox, who finished with a game-high 21 points, started the run with a three-pointer before Donavan Griffith capped it off with a second-chance tip-in.
 
Covenant (7-8, 1-4 USA South) battled back to take a 37-34 halftime lead after outscoring Greensboro 9-2 over the final four minutes of the half.
 
After the Scots scored the first bucket of the second half, Greensboro used a 24-8 run over the first nine minutes to establish a 58-47 lead. Joseph Gatling accounted for nine points during the run, while Maddox added six points. Griffith, Lorenzo Marry, Christopher Corbin, and Matteo Baggio combined for nine points.
 
However, Greensboro was not done adding to its lead.
 
Following a Z Arima free throw, the Pride ran off 10 straight points to establish their largest lead of the game at 71-50 before the Scots went on a 10-0 run of their own.
 
Greensboro regrouped after a media timeout before closing out the game on a 9-7 run to secure the win.
 
"It is tough to play back-to-back college basketball games," Head Coach Bryan Galuski said. "We were fortunate to come away with a win tonight as we did not perform well from the free-throw line.
 
"I really hope we can continue this momentum as we now head on a very tough road swing starting next week."
 
In addition to Maddox's game-high 21 points, Gatling (19), Griffith (16), and Corbin (11) also finished in double figures. Griffith also pulled down a team-high eight rebounds, while Hamilton Hawkins and Corbin led the Pride with two assists each.
 
The Pride men's basketball team will return to action at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at North Carolina Wesleyan College. For more information on Greensboro College men's basketball, continue to follow www.greensborocollegesports.com.