FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. -- Five Monarchs scored in double figures as the Methodist men's basketball team defeated N.C. Wesleyan, 90-83, on Wednesday evening at the Riddle Center in the Monarchs' regular-season finale.
 
With the win, MU wrapped up the regular season with a record of 15-10 overall and 9-5 in league play. The 15 wins are the most in a season since MU finished the 2007-08 season with 16 wins. N.C. Wesleyan fell to 12-11 overall and 5-7 in the league.
 
Before the game, the Monarchs took a moment to honor their three seniors - Irving Aughburns, Will Baggett and Blake Davis.
 
Davion Ayabarreno led MU with 17 points and pulled down eight rebounds. Bryan Rouse scored 16 points, Jackson Whitely had a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Aughburns and Davis scored 12 and 11 points, respectively. Aughburns added eight boards and five assists, and Whitley had three blocks and three assists.
 
Adrian Moore led the Battling Bishops with a 25 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists. Justin Tankelewicz added 19, and Robert Wilson and A.J. Frye had 14 and 13, respectively. Wilson completed a double-double with 14 rebounds.
 
Rouse hit three consecutive three's for the Monarchs in the early going, helping MU race out to a 27-13 lead by the 11:28 mark of the first half. The Bishops began whittling away at their deficit and managed to pull within one (38-37) after a trio of three pointer, the last coming from Chris Braswell with 3:02 left in the opening half.
 
After taking a 42-39 lead into the break, the Monarchs started quickly in the second half, building an 11-point lead (53-42) on an alley-oop from Rae Hall to Whitley at the 16:48 mark. The Bishops managed to keep the game close, getting a three from Tankelewicz to pull within 54-51 by the 13:48 mark, but the Monarchs answered with another surge and re-established an 11-point lead (70-59) by the 8:21 mark.
 
N.C. Wesleyan was unable to pull any closer than seven points the rest of the way.
 
The Monarchs shot 44.1 percent (30-68) for the contest, including 45.5 percent (10-22) from long range. NCWC shot 37.2 percent (29-78) as a team, and put up 38 three-point attempts, hitting on 12 of them (.316). MU held a 49-48 edge in rebounding.
 
The Monarchs will now await word on their first-round opponent in the upcoming USA South Tournament. Tournament play begins next Thursday with the conference top seed hosting all three rounds.