FAYETTE, Mo. - Scott Stegeman scored 18 of his game-high 24 points after intermission, and No. 7-seed Central Methodist used a 16-0 second-half run in a 5:10 span to defeat No. 10-seed Graceland (Iowa), 78-70, inside Puckett Field House in the Heart of America Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Tournament first round. Tuesday's contest comes four years to the day the last time these two squad matched up in the postseason, a 94-69 Eagles' win in Fayette.

Tuesday's win sends Jeff Sherman's squad into the tournament quarterfinals at No. 2-seed and 16th-ranked Benedictine (Kan.) on Thursday at 7 p.m. CT. Sherman now sits three wins shy of 550 for his career.

Tuesday's triumph gives Central Methodist (20-11) its 20th all-time 20-win season but first since 2009-10.

Sherman's team improves to 2-1 this season against the Yellowjackets.

Two Devin Pearson free throws keyed the Eagles' run that turned a 52-51 deficit into a 66-52 advantage in which Graceland (6-22) shot 0-of-9 and had one turnover. Meanwhile, Mike McCode scored four-straight points before Stegeman tallied six-straight Central Methodist points. A McCode bucket from deep concluded the onslaught that gave the Green and Black a 14-point edge with 6:05 remaining.

Two Stegeman free throws gave Central Methodist its largest lead, 68-53, of the night with 4:47 showing on the clock.

Stegeman shot 10-of-17 from the floor and 4-of-4 from the free throw line to go along with a game-high 13 rebounds, his fifth double-double this season and second against Graceland which ends its season after Tuesday's loss. Stegeman also had two steals, and he and Quinten Hunter tallied two blocks apiece.

McCode and Mitchell Farr each finished with 17 points, six rebounds and one steal. McCode was 4-of-6 from 3-point range. Farr passed Doug Widhalm and Brent Beckmann for 31st on the school's all-time scoring list and now has 1,063 points in just two seasons for the Green and Black.

Pearson recorded eight points, while Mitchell Wendling pulled down eight boards. Cody Anderson dished out a season-high eight assists.�

Austin Danner scored a team-high 17 points in the loss. Max Francisco and Carl Martin each had 12 points. Martin also had nine rebounds. Trey Sathoff rounded out four Yellowjacket scorers in double-figures with 10. Blake Larson had 10 rebounds.

Central Methodist outscored Graceland 15-7 in fastbreak points and totaled 18 assists.

Tuesday's game was tied at 36 at halftime, and the Eagles trailed by four less than two minutes after the break before a pair of steals and fastbreak layups forced the first of three ties before the Eagles' momentum-swinging spurt.