ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. -- D.J. Weaver scored 32 points and the N.C. Wesleyan men's basketball team beat Methodist, 72-59, on Wednesday evening at Everett Gym.
 
Despite playing the Battling Bishops (16-6, 9-2 USA South) to a 35-35 tie in the second half, the Monarchs (7-14, 3-7) were unable to come back from a 13-point (37-24) deficit at the break.
 
Jackson Whitley led MU with 17 points and 9 rebounds while adding three blocks. Brandon Monk and Irving Aughburns each scored 12 point for the Monarchs, and Davion Ayabarreno chipped in five points and six rebounds.
 
The Bishops seized control of the game with a 14-3 run over an eight-minute stretch in the first half to turn a 9-8 deficit into a 22-12 advantage with 6:44 on the clock. The Monarchs came back and pulled to within three points (27-24) on Monk's three-point play with 3:49 left in the first, but the Bishops closed the half on a 10-0 run, including Weaver's three with 31 seconds left in the first half.
 
N.C. Wesleyan stretched its lead out to as many as 21 points (52-31) in the early parts of the second half, but a prolonged 25-10 run by MU, ending with a dunk by Whitley with five minutes to play made it 62-56 in favor of the Bishops before NCWC was able to close out the game.
 
Methodist shot 37.7 percent from the floor (23-61) and made just 9-of-17 (.529) free throw attempts. The Bishops matched MU's 9-of-17 mark from the line, but hit 49.1 percent of their field-goal attempts, including 7-of-18 (.389) three-point attempts.
 
Weaver led all scorers with his 32 points, hitting 12-of-19 shot attempts, including 5-of-10 from distance. Brandon Brown added a double-double of 11 points and 11 rebounds, and Shannon Huff chipped in seven points and nine rebounds.
 
Methodist returns to the court on Saturday when it hosts Piedmont at 4:00 pm.