Women's Basketball | 2/15/2012 9:46:00 PM

Box Score FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. - The Methodist women's basketall team clinched the fourth seed in the USA South Tournament on Wednesday night with a 66-60 win over N.C. Wesleyan College.

The Bishops (11-11, 8-9) opened the game with the 6-0 lead, but the Monarchs (13-11, 10-7) used a 7-0 run to take the lead at 13-10 midway through the first half. The teams went back and forth exchanging the lead before the Monarchs used another late run to lead 24-16 with 3:42 remaining in the first half. Both teams went to the free throw in the final minute with N.C. Wesleyan trailing 27-21 at the break.

Methodist's Jordan Tyson scored the first basket of the second half and the Monarchs went ahead 42-32 on a layup from T.T. Taylor. The Bishops came back and tied the game at 50, but Courtney Woods drained a 3-pointer at the other end for Methodist to regain the lead. It was tight down the stretch, but the Monarchs finished strong at the free throw line to secure the 66-60 win.

Iesha Hayes had 12 points to lead the Monarchs while Jackie Lyles and Taylor had 11 apiece. Woods finished with 10 points.

Derreon Cole paced the Bishops with 14 points off the bench.

At halftime of the game, the Methodist tennis teams presented a check for $640 from a tennis clinic they hosted last month. Newly crowned Miss Methodist Kelsey Magnine gave MU head coach DeeDee Jarman a check for $400 with funds collected at the pageant last week. The Monarchs are raising money to donate to the Kay Yow Cancer fund and the Cape Fear Valley Friends of the Cancer Center.


Methodist will be back in action on Saturday when they host Meredith College at 2 p.m. in conjunction with Play 4Kay festivities.

Box Score