Based upon the experiences of the Pinecrest boys' basketball team, the Mid-Southeastern Conference champion is going to come out of Fayetteville.

The Patriots completed a murderers' row of league contests that began against Jack Britt (ranked seventh in 4-A), included Westover (ranked eighth) and ended with a 65-46 home loss to Seventy-First on Tuesday.

Guards Jawan Davis with 26 points and Tate Kennings with 11 were the main undoers of the Patriots with their play at both ends of the court. Forward Jarrin Wooten led the home team with 16 points, including an eight for eight effort at the charity stripe.

The three straight league losses left the Patriots with a 2-4 mark in the conference and 7-9 overall. They came against teams that almost never take a possession off in a game.

"I thought Seventy-First did a heck-of-a-job setting the tone early," Pinecrest coach Mike Apple said. "We didn't try to match it."

The Patriots took their last lead of the game at 13-12 when Julian Brewer fed Adam Wire for an early second quarter basket. Davis went out of control at that point, erupting for 13 points, including a trio of treys that staked the Falcons to a 33-18 halftime lead.

Wooten worked inside for the first five points of the third period, cutting the Falcon advantage to 33-23. That was as close as the home team would get. Midway through the quarter, another three by Davis made it 42-25.

The disciplined Falcons, now 4-2 and 10-6, took control of the game by going 14 for 22 from the field in the middle quarters. Twenty turnovers didn't help the Patriot cause either.

"It kind of sounds like a broken record, but we're searching for an identity and it's just getting hard right now to figure out who it is we are," Apple said. "I think it compounded itself tonight on both sides of the ball."

Things don't get much easier when Pinecrest travels to Douglas Byrd tonight for a 7:30 p.m. game.

The Eagles are 3-2 in the conference and 8-6 overall.

Seventy-First 12 21 19 13 -- 65

Pinecrest 9 9 17 11 -- 46

Seventy-First -- Davis 9 4-4 26, Benjamin 3 3-5 9, Powell 3 3-4 9, Kennings 3 4-4 11, Jones 1 0-0 2, Haumann-Neal 3 0-0 6, Grant 0 2-2 2, Morrison 0 0-2 0. Totals -- 22 16-21 65.

Pinecrest -- Maness 2 1-2 7, Wire 4 0-0 8, Wooten 4 8-8 16, Scales 1 4-4 6, Brown 0 0-0 0, Johnstone 0 0-0 0, Threadgill 1 1-2 4, Brewer 1 0-0 2, Allbrooks 1 0-0 3. Totals -- 14 14-16 46.

Three-point goals: Seventy-First 5 (Davis 4, Kennings); Pinecrest 4 (Maness 2, Threadgill, Allbrooks).