FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. Methodist University men's basketball hosted Johnson & Wales University, of Charlotte, on Saturday afternoon for a non-conference game. After taking a slight lead into halftime, the Wildcats managed to hang on and left the March F. Riddle Center with a 83-73 win over the Monarchs.
JUST THE FACTS
Final score: Johnson & Wales def. Methodist, 83-73
Records: Methodist 0-2, Johnson & Wales 2-0
Location: March F. Riddle Center; Fayetteville, North Carolina
HOW IT HAPPENED
- JWU's Nathan Meshida, four points, and Jaylen Benson-Hollin, two points, scored the first six points of the contest. Baskets by Derrion Hicklen and Joey McMullin of Methodist brought the score to 6-4 but then a three-pointer from Ethan Smith made it a five-point game for the Wildcats. A 6-0 run by JWU, with Jaden Sciven tallying four of those points, pushed their advantage to a nine-point difference, 19-10.
- Starting with two made threes by Hicklen, the Monarchs score 12 unanswered points and took a 22-19 lead, their first one of the season. Jaben Mars did not allow that Methodist lead to last long as he knocked down a three and sparked a seven point swing for JWU. Aaron Potter, a three-pointer, and De'Shaun Kee, a layup, got the Monarchs within one point, 32-31, but a last second bucket by Meshida put the Wildcats up by three heading into halftime.
- Coming out of the break, JWU outscored Methodist 9-3 to make it a three possession ball game, 43-34. Following a layup by Malek Ngong, of the Monarchs, another string of seven points by the Wildcats increased their advantage to 13-points.
- Methodist cut the deficit down to seven points, 73-66, after Kee registered a three ball on back-to-back possessions. Meshida and Smith recorded two points each for JWU to bring its lead back to a double digit difference, which put an end to any Monarch comeback.
MORE TO IT
- Methodist was led by Potter with a team-high, and season-high, 16 points. The junior also had four assists, three rebounds, and two steals. Zac Sledge, 14 pts., and Hicklen, 11 pts., finished in double figures as well.
- Coming down with a career-high nine rebounds was Tomas Stevens.
- Both sides found themselves in foul trouble as a total of 71 free throws were taken. The Wildcats converted 30 of their 38 tries (78.9%) while the Monarchs made 22 of their 33 attempts (66.7%).
UP NEXT
Methodist goes on the road for the next two games, starting with a game against Virginia Wesleyan University on Wednesday, November 15. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 PM.
