ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. -- The Methodist men's basketball team moved a game ahead of N.C. Wesleyan in the USA South standings with an 80-69 win on NCWC's home floor on Wednesday evening.
 
The Monarchs improved to .500 on the season (12-12) and 7-6 in conference play with the win, while the Battling Bishops fell to 12-12 overall and 6-7 in the USA South.
 
Methodist, which held a one-point lead at the half (34-33), shot a blistering 70.4 percent in the second period and outscored the Bishops 46-36 over the game's final minutes in earning the double-digit win.
 
Desmond Parker and Tabias Hilliard hit back-to-back jumpers to start the second half and MU hit each of its first five shots from the field in opening up a 44-38 lead by the 16:48 mark. NCWC battled back and tied the game several times, the last being at 56-56 on Josh Lancaster's three pointer with 8:12 to play.
 
Blake Davis scored four straight points for a 60-56 lead, and a Hilliard layup with 6:43 to play staked the Monarchs to a 62-56 lead, but the Bishops made one more push. NCWC used a 7-0 spurt to assume a 63-62 lead by the 5:23 mark. Shannon Huff and Brandon Brown each made a pair of free throws and D.J. Weaver connected from long range for the one-point advantage. However, the Monarchs used a 9-2 run, including eight points from T.J. Gill, to take 71-65 lead that it would not relinquish.
 
The Monarchs trailed 25-17 in the first half, but closed the opening stanza on a 17-8 scoring run in taking their one-point lead at intermission. Hilliard scored eight points during the surge, including a pair of three pointers.
 
Gill, Hilliard and Parker scored 15 points apiece. Gill and Hilliard were both 3-of-4 from three-point range. Chris Vinson and Mike Major scored nine points apiece, and Parker pulled down a team-best seven rebounds. Hilliard and Davis each picked up four assists, and Major added four steals.
 
For N.C. Wesleyan, Weaver had a team-high 16 points, Adrian Moore scored 13 points, and Brandon Brown added 11 points. Brown also had a team-high six rebounds, and Moore contributed six steals and five assists.
 
The Monarchs wrap up the regular season on Saturday at Ferrum beginning at 2:00 pm.