FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. Playing host to North Carolina Wesleyan University, the Methodist men's basketball team fell to the Battling Bishops, 79-66, on Wednesday night. The Monarchs trailed by just four points at halftime, but the visitors didn't let up on their way to a USA South Athletic Conference victory.

JUST THE FACTS
Final score: N.C. Wesleyan def. Methodist, 79-66
Records: Methodist 0-18 (0-7 USA South), N.C. Wesleyan 14-4 (6-1)
Location: March F. Riddle Center; Fayetteville, North Carolina

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Battling Bishops started out hot, making five of their first seven shots while taking an early 14-3 lead. De'Shaun Kee answered with a layup, followed by a layup by Montell Moore to cut the deficit to five. An 8-2 run by N.C. Wesleyan put the Monarchs down by 11 once again.
• After a  jumper by Moore brought the Monarchs to within nine, Brone Brinson knocked down a triple to make the score 22-16 with Methodist down six. However, another run by the Battling Bishops would boost their lead to 14 with 2:44 remaining in the half. Down 34-20, Methodist closed the period on a 13-3 scoring streak that Moore added an exclamation point to by burying a three-pointer for the team's final bucket. N.C. Wesleyan took a 37-33 advantage into halftime.
• The Monarchs were neck and neck with the Battling Bishops to start the second half, pulling to within three thanks to a layup by Derrion Hicklen. When N.C. Wesleyan scored two points on the ensuing possession, Hicklen responded by draining a shot from behind the arc. Now down two, Kee went to the free-throw line, sinking his first shot to put the Monarchs one point away from their opponent, 46-45, with 15:32 left on the clock.
• With a miss on Kee's second free-throw attempt, N.C. Wesleyan locked in. The score became 53-45 in a matter of minutes as the Battling Bishops made three layups and a free throw. Another huge run for the visitors made the difference 19 as the Monarchs trailed 66-47 with under seven minutes to go. Brian Bullock checked in for the home team, sinking a three-pointer and a pair of free throws, but N.C. Wesleyan would not concede its lead.

MORE TO IT

• The Monarchs left 13 points at the free-throw line, shooting 15-for-28 at the stripe. The Battling Bishops made 14-of-23 attempts at the line.
• N.C. Wesleyan shot 1-for-11 from deep on the outing, but found success in the paint, scoring 58 of their points in the lane compared to Methodist's 32.
• Derrion Hicklen led all Monarch scorers with 16 points, while Isaiah Lewis and Marquis Eskew each recorded 18 points for the Battling Bishops.

UP NEXT
The Monarchs will play four of their next five games away from home, starting in Greensboro on Saturday against the Greensboro College Pride at 2 p.m.