FAYETTEVILLE, N.C.  For the second time this season, the Methodist men's basketball team picked up a win over Warren Wilson, defeating the Owls by 18 points during a late afternoon match on Saturday. The Monarchs exhibited smart shot selection and played excellent defense as they pushed towards the 75–57 victory.

JUST THE FACTS
Final score: Methodist def. Warren Wilson, 75–57
Records: Methodist 4-3, Warren Wilson 0–10
Location: March F. Riddle Center; Fayetteville, N.C.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• After Slim Hines scored a quick opening basket for Warren Wilson, the Monarchs ran a designed lob that saw Chance Minott loft a pass from behind the arc. Utilizing a screen set by David McCallum Jr., Zac Sledge snuck behind the defense to receive the pass in mid-air, flushing the ball down with two hands for Methodist's first two points. Sledge was responsible for the team's next three baskets (including another alley–oop from Minott) to put Methodist ahead 8–5.
• Methodist led by as many as six points, but a run by Warren Wilson saw the Owls pull even with the Monarchs at 19–19 with just under 10 minutes left in the first half. Braxton Crocker was a major contributor to the early success of the Owls, knocking down a trio of three–pointers and adding a layup to his total, but after scoring 11 of his team's first 19 points, he went scoreless for the remainder of the contest.
• Having their way in the paint, Methodist scored seven of the next nine points, but a three ball by Hines kept the Owls within four. The Monarchs closed the half on a 12–2 run, stretching their lead to 12 points (39–27).
• Methodist scored the first three baskets after the break, leading to a quick timeout by the visitors. With the Monarchs continuing to outpace the Owls, a steal by Sledge with just over 11 minutes remaining led to a fastbreak, two–handed slam dunk by the 6–foot–8 high–flyer, giving his team a 59–34 lead.
• Warren Wilson shaved their deficit in half with a 12–0 run, but the Monarchs took 10 of the next 12 points to push their lead back to 20 with four minutes to go. Checking in with 19 seconds remaining, Will Heard made the most of his first appearance by canning a three–pointer from the left corner in the waning seconds of the game, putting an exclamation point on the win for Methodist.

MORE TO IT

• The Monarchs shot 54.2% from the field, marking the third time they've achieved over 50% this season. Leading all scorers was Ke Edwards with 17 points.
• Zac Sledge earned his first double–double of the season, recording 15 points and leading the team with 10 rebounds. He also matched his career high of four blocks.
• Both teams struggled at the free–throw line, with Methodist recording its worst mark of the season (47.1%), making just eight of 17 attempts.

UP NEXT
The Monarchs have a week to prepare for their road game at Guilford College, which is slated for Dec. 14 at 3 p.m. The Quakers were ranked No. 17 in the latest D3hoops.com Top–25 national poll.