MEMPHIS -- Since Fred Watson has taken over as head coach for the Golden Bears, there has been one thing you can count on seeing at the end of the season -- Miles collecting 20 wins.

For the fifth time in his five full-time seasons Watson has hit the mark, with the Golden Bears helping him reach the plateau on Saturday with a 74-70 win over LeMoyne-Owen at Hall/Johnson Gymnasium. The win was the eighth straight for SIAC Western Division champ Miles (20-5, 15-4 SIAC West), who got double-digit scoring from four players, including a monster double-double from Corey Trotter for the second straight contest.

The game was close throughout but Miles was able to open a 68-62 lead when Rylen Walker scored on consecutive possessions with two minutes remaining. The Magicians closed to within a single point with 30 seconds left, but Mykayle Carter, Alvin Miles and Chase Ballard made 5-of-6 free throws down the stretch to give Watson - who has now garnered 112 victories with the Golden Bears - the milestone win.

Miles trailed by as many as nine points in the first half but Trotter (16 points, game-high 17 rebounds) was big on the glass in the first half. The junior forward secured 10 rebounds, five on the offensive end, which helped Miles stay close. Ballard (13 points) scored two straight baskets to close the first half to give the Golden Bears a 33-31 lead at the break. Walker (12 points) drained a 3-pointer. then got out on the break for a layup at the start of the second half to push the Golden Bears' advantage to seven points less than a minute into the final period.

The Magicians would score 10 straight points to retake the lead five minutes later and the game would delve into a very tight tug-of-war, with the two combatants remaining within a single possession of each other for nearly five minutes. Miles, though, would finally create some space when Alvin Miles knocked down a 3-ball and Ballard followed with his own with 11:38 left. Still, LOC showed that it had plenty left in the tank. It took a 54-53 lead with 9:45 remaining when Micah Evans pulled up on a jumper in the paint. The two squads would then remain with a possession of each other until Walker's buckets late in the game.

Christian Wells (19 points, 13 rebounds) and Matthew Spears (13 points) led the charge for LeMoyne-Owen. Miles (20 points, seven assists) and Carter (11 points, six rebounds, three assists, two blocks) had solid performances for the Golden Bears, who close out the regular season on Monday at Lane. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.