FAYETTEVILLE, N.C.  Looking to defeat the team with the top field goal percentage in all of Division III, the Methodist men's basketball team welcomed the Ferrum College Panthers to town on Tuesday evening. The Monarchs held the visitors below their shooting average of 53.9% but still struggled to keep them from scoring, suffering a 68–59 loss to the talented squad from the Old Dominion Athletic Conference.

JUST THE FACTS
Final score: Ferrum def. Methodist, 68–59
Records: Methodist 4-5, Ferrum 9–1
Location: March F. Riddle Center; Fayetteville, N.C.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Scoring the first baskets of the game, Chance Minott and Brian Bullock hit back–to–back three–pointers to put Methodist out in front. The Monarchs held a 13–6 lead at the 13:00 mark in the first half, but a 9–0 run in favor of Ferrum put the Panthers up by two just two minutes later.
• With less than nine minutes remaining in the half, Ron Jones canned a shot from behind the arc that tied the score at 19–19. The Panthers soon recaptured a lead, but with three and a half minutes to go, Caleb Barreto knocked down Methodist's fifth three–pointer of the half to make the score 24–24. The teams exchanged scores as the final minutes of the first half ticked off the clock, and Ke Edwards drained a jumper in the closing seconds to pull Methodist within two points, down 30–28.
• Just a little over five minutes into the second half, Bullock sank both of his shots from downtown and Methodist trailed by just one point (38–37). Then, the second nine–point streak of the game for Ferrum put the Panthers ahead by 10, still with over 11 minutes remaining in the period. The Ferrum lead peaked at 14 points, as the Panthers possessed a 56–42 advantage with 7:17 to go.
• Methodist chipped away at Ferrum's lead, then inside the final three minutes, Bullock and Edwards drilled three pointers on consecutive possessions to reduce the difference to four points. The Monarchs would put Ferrum at the free throw line four times during the final two minutes, and although the Panthers would make just five of their eight attempts, they came down with offensive rebounds on two of the misses to extend their time with the ball and prevent Methodist from having enough opportunities to catch up in time.

MORE TO IT

• Methodist was a perfect 5–for–5 from beyond the three–point line in the first half and made their first two shots from deep to start the second half. The Monarchs finished 9–for–12 from three (75%), which is the team's best three–point percentage since February 21, 2012, when the Monarchs went 7–for–9 (77.8%) from beyond the arc in a 92–81 win at Ferrum.
• The Monarchs were well defended inside, scoring just 20 points in the paint. On the other end of the floor, the Panthers scored 42 of their points near the basket.
• Brian Bullock (5–for–7 from three) and Ke Edwards posted 17 points each for Methodist, while Zac Sledge led the team defensively with seven rebounds and five blocks.

UP NEXT
The Monarchs have a break before traveling to Lexington, Virginia for the Washington and Lee Holiday Tournament. They'll take on the host Generals on Dec. 29, then another opponent on Dec. 30.