Almonte sets career-high in points in Dalton State win over Brewton-Parker

Published 12:38 pm Monday, February 21, 2022

Dalton State College completed its regular-season schedule Saturday with a 69-61 comeback win at home over Brewton-Parker.

Brewton Parker (2-28, 1-17 Southern States Athletic Conference) led by as many as 17 in the first half and held a 34-27 halftime edge, but the Roadrunners (13-15, 7-11 SSAC) outscored the visiting Barons 42-27 in the second half on the way to the win.

Dalton State battled closer early in the second half, and the teams exchanged advantages in the second half before a Jaelin Ferrell free throw put the Roadrunners ahead for good with 3:44 left in the game.

Dalton State outscored Brewton-Parker 11-4 from that point forward, including a late 3-pointer by Ferrell to seal it.

Ferrell hit on 5-of-7 3-pointers and led Dalton State with 21 points. Franklin Almonte, a Dalton High School graduate, set a new collegiate career-high with 18 points, hitting 4-of-5 from behind the 3-point arc and grabbing nine rebounds.

Rodley Adjei, the Roadrunners’ leading scorer, was held to six points but dished six assists, while Antares Gwyn led Dalton State with 11 rebounds.

Brewton-Parker’s Aaron Udell had a game-high 23 points.

Almonte and Ferrell did their scoring damage off the bench, while all but two Brewton-Parker points came from the Baron starters, giving the Roadrunners a 50-2 advantage in bench points.

Dalton State wraps the regular season at seventh in the SSAC standings. The Roadrunners open the SSAC tournament, which is in Montgomery, Alabama, Wednesday at 3 p.m. in a first-round matchup against 10th-seeded Brewton-Parker.

The Roadrunners will compete in the tournament after having to pull out of the conference tourney last season because of COVID-19.

If the Roadrunners defeat the Barons again in Montgomery, Dalton State plays second-seeded Talladega in the tournament quarterfinals Thursday at 7:15 p.m.