GREENSBORO, N.C. – Justin Minnis scored a game-high 30 points for the Pride men's basketball team as they fell to the Mountaineers of Berea College Sunday 87-83.
 
Berea opened the game on a 9-0 run over the first two minutes before Greensboro battled back with a 6-0 run to pull within three. Keyford Langley, who finished with 21 points, started the run for the Pride with a long three-pointer from the top of the key before Minnis hit from the left wing.
 
Ten minutes later, Greensboro found themselves facing their largest deficit of the game a 35-16 after Berea went on a 26-11 run.
 
However, the Pride would then go on a 15-4 run of their own to pull within 39-31 before going into the halftime break trailing 52-37.
 
During the run, Greensboro connected on five of their six shots from the field as Minnis led the way with seven points. Michael Phifer, Jordan McCray and Langley combined for nine points.
 
Over the first seven minutes of the second half, Greensboro began chipping away at the Mountaineers lead before tying the contest up at 69, following a steal and layup by Dante White, with 7:29 to play.
 
As the time began to tick away, the Pride had the opportunity to take the lead but the Berea offensive attack was able to help the Mountaineers pull away for the four-point victory.
 
"If we cannot defend better in the first half we will not win college basketball games," Head Coach Bryan Galuski said. "The one thing about the guys in our locker room is that they are not quitters. They are great kids, they want to win, and they are going to play hard.
 
"The problem is they don't know how long they are going to have to play hard for. Don't count us out as we are going to get better as the year goes on and we are going to start to find out who we are here in the next several weeks."
 
Phifer joined Langley and Minnis in double figures with 14 points. Jacar Green passed for a team-leading five assists, while Carmoni Marks passed for four assists and added six points.
 
The Pride men will return to action at 4 p.m. Saturday when they travel down West Market St. to take on the Aggies of North Carolina A&T in an exhibition contest. For more information on Greensboro College men's basketball, continue to follow www.greensborocollegesports.com.