FERRUM, Va.  Garren Dearman scored a game-high 17 points, Andrew Steve came off the bench to drop in a trio of 3-pointers and the area under the rim was ruled by the Monarchs in Methodist's 77-58 non-conference men's basketball victory Tuesday evening at Ferrum College.

The victory is the first of the season for Methodist, and extends a win streak over the Panthers to six games, dating back to January of 2016.

THE ESSENTIALS
Final score: Methodist def. Ferrum, 77-58
Records: Methodist 1-1, Ferrum 0-2
Location: Swartz Gymnasium; Ferrum, Va.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Ferrum inched to within a bucket, 32-30, after a 3-pointer with 1:50 left in the first half. But a 5-1 spurt before heading to halftime, and a 12-6 run over the opening five minutes of the second half broke open a game that had traded leads in first-half action.
• The late first-half spark came from a J'Quan Deal layup, Malik Manley steal and a long-range trey from Malik Edwards -- easily a step, or two, beyond the top of the arc.
• Consecutive layups from Garren Dearman followed soon after by a 3-pointer by Dearman were fuel for the fire that lit up the early second-half Monarchs run.
• A Deal steal and Dante Burden layin finished off the run.
• A two-minute scoreless gap interrupted movement on the scoreboard, with Methodist leading 50-39, only to have Steve end the inaction with consecutive 3-pointers for the Monarchs.
• Ferrum never got closer than 14 points the rest of the way, and trailed by as many as 19, at 75-56 and again at 77-58, in the final minute.
• Up until Methodist's closing leap in the final minute, the teams were either tied or separated by one or two points for the majority of the first half. Only at 32-27, after Dante Burden converted a pair of free throws for the Monarchs, were the teams separated by more than a one-possession basket.

BOX IT UP

• Methodist commanded the glass, not only finishing with a 35-25 advantage in rebounding, but allowing Ferrum just seven offensive rebounds and just two second-chance points.
• Kaymon Mitchell led Methodist's rebounding efforts with a game-high seven, but the Monarchs' starting five pulled down a combined 22, nearly equaling the Panthers' output for the game.
• The defense could have been brought up on theft charges, forcing 22 turnovers, registering 13 steals, and scoring 29 points off Panther turnovers.
• Dearman led all scorers with his 17 points while also adding three assists, a pair of rebounds and three steals.
• Steve was 3-for-4 from long range and finished with 11 points, and Mitchell hit the double-digit mark as well with 10 points.
• Ferrum was led by Marcus Huff's 16 points, after a 4-for-11 night from behind the arc, and 10 points from Marcus Plair.

UP NEXT

• Methodist heads to Florence, S.C., for a 6 p.m. Thursday contest at Division II  Francis Marion University.
• Ferrum will seek its first win of the season against North Carolina Wesleyan College on Saturday at the Mary Washington Tip-Off Classic.