Sophomore Zach Sloan recorded his first collegiate double-double and seniors Vernon Fraley and Jaden Ignacio sparked a late-game surge to lift top-seeded Mary Baldwin men's basketball to a 66-59 victory over William Peace before a raucous, supportive packed house at the PAC Thursday.  

The victory was MBU's first playoff win in team history and sets up the USA South Conference Championship game against second-seeded Greensboro Saturday at the PAC.  Game time for Saturday's championship has been confirmed at 2 p.m.  Greensboro downed Pfeiffer in Thursday's other semifinal game by a 75-63 margin. 

The Pride defeated MBU in both regular-season meetings, winning the first game in Greensboro 58-53, and the rematch just a week ago in Staunton by a 73-63 margin.  The winner of Saturday's championship game gains an automatic bid to the 2024 NCAA Division III championship tournament.

Thursday, Sloan knocked down a team-high 13 points and grabbed 10 of MBU's 34 defensive rebounds.  Sloan also connected on three of MBU's seven long-range shots and added three assists, a block and a steal.

Ignacio and Fraley also hit double digits in the scoring column for MBU.  Ignacio collected 12 points and four rebounds while Fraley added 11 scores, seven boards and two assists.  Sophomore Mekhi Reid (eight points, eight rebounds) and junior Luke Ogle (eight points, six rebounds, four assists) were also contributors to the victory.

Beau Bryant led all scorers with 18 points and had a team-high nine rebounds for the Pacers, who led through much of the first half and took a 27-26 lead to the break.  

MBU scored 13-straight points early in the second half, ignited by consecutive three-point shots by Sloan and senior Quentin Hart and capped by five-straight points from Ignacio, to build a 44-31 lead.

William Peace responded by chipping away at its deficit, eventually closing the game to one point (52-51) on a Melachi Borders layup with 4:43 left in the game.

That's when Fraley hit a three and a layup to start MBU's charge to the finish line.  Ignacio followed with a pair of short jumpers in the paint, and Ogle and Hart converted all four free throws in the last minute to seal the win.