Men's Basketball | 2/21/2013 7:36:00 PM

Box Score FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. -- The Methodist men's basketball team saw its 2012-13 season come to an end with a 70-62 loss to N.C. Wesleyan in the quarterfinal round of the USA South Basketball Tournament on Thursday evening at Crown Center Arena.
 
After trailing by nine at the half (38-29), the fifth-seeded Monarchs began the second half on and 12-2 run to take a 41-40 lead at the 16:35 mark on a three-point play by Bryan Hockaday. The Battling Bishops, seeded fourth, managed to extend regain the lead and take a seven-point advantage (56-49) on a Chris Ford layup with 7:38 showing on the clock.
 
The Monarchs rallied once again, pulling to within a single point on several occasions, the last coming at the 3:29 mark following a jumper from Kyle Combs that made it 60-59 in favor of NCWC. However, the Monarchs missed their next six shots, missing a chance to pull ahead as NCWC split a pair of free throws each of their next four trips to the line, going just 4-of-8 during the stretch. The Battling Bishops then made each of their last four attempts from the line to keep MU at bay and earn the eight-point win.
 
In the first half, MU took its first lead of the game at 16-15 following a triple from Justin Washington with 9:32 to play. However, N.C. Wesleyan  followed with an 11-2 run, including three straight threes courtesy of Cornelius Snow and Brandon Givens to give the Bishops a 26-18 lead by the 7:19 mark.
 
At the 3:37 mark, Justin Washington split a pair of free throws to pull the Monarchs to within a pair (29-27), but a 9-2 run to end the half, including another three by Snow, gave NCWC its nine-point lead at the break.
 
For the game, Bryan Hockaday led the Monarchs with 17 points, on 7-of-10 shooting, and nine rebounds, while Washington contributed 12 points. Brandon Monk added six points and five rebounds, while Combs chipped in eight points, three boards and a pair of assists.
 
Givens, the USA South Player of the Year, led all scorers with 27 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Snow finished with 11 points and Eric Dortch-Jones and Josh Morrison added nine points and six rebounds apiece. Morrison also added four assists.
 
With the loss MU wraps up the season at 9-15 overall while NCWC, which now sits at 16-10, advances to play No. 1 seed CNU on Friday.