FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. -- E'Montie Dears rushed for over 120 yards for the fourth consecutive game, but the Methodist team could not hold a 14-7 lead and fell to Averett, 28-14, at Monarch Stadium Saturday afternoon.
 
The game was a makeup contest of one of the two games that Methodist lost due to Hurricane Matthew. MU finishes the season with a record of 3-6 overall and 2-4 in league play. Averett wraps up 2016 at 5-5 overall and 4-3 in the USA South.
 
Dears rumbled for 122 yards on 24 carries, including a 51-yard touchdown run in the second quarter that gave MU a 14-7 lead. In just eight games played this season, he racked up 837 yards rushing - the fourth-highest single-season total for an MU back. 
 
Carlos McCracken opened the scoring when he picked off Averett's Joshua Long and raced 35 yards to other way for a touchdown and an early 7-0 lead. Averett answered as Joshua Eubanks found Rahim Mateen on a 13-yard scoring pass at the 4:58 mark of the first period.
 
Dears' long run provided the only scoring play of the second quarter and gave MU a seven-point lead at the break.
 
In the third quarter, Averett took the first possession and went 81 yards in eight plays and tied the game at 14-14 on a one-yards run by Sean Bowman. Just over six minutes later, the Cougars took the lead for good on Eubanks' 13-yard pass to Terrance Owens to make it 21-14.
 
Bowman added a 27-yard run early in the fourth quarter to account for the final score. The Monarchs had a number of chances to cut into their deficit in the second half, but a pair of long missed field goals and four turnovers in the final 30 minutes hampered MU's comeback attempts.
 
Devan Cox completed 11 of 28 passes for 89 yards and three interceptions for the Monarchs. Jay Robinson and Tyree Stidem each had three receptions. Kyle Colborn and Travon Johnson had 11 and 10 tackles, respectively, to lead MU. Mark Stanford added six tackles and a sack, while McCracken finished with three tackles, a sack, a blocked punt and a pass breakup.
 
Bowman picked up 117 rushing yards on 29 carries and scored twice. Eubanks completed 13 of 33 passes for 154 yards and a pair of touchdowns, with Owens hauling in five passes for 85 yards.
 
Don Warren led Averett with nine tackles, including 5.0 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks, a forced fumble and an interception. Dejon Brooks added nine tackles including 1.0 for loss.