LYNCHBURG, Va. The Methodist men's basketball team hit the road on Wednesday night for a non-conference matchup at Randolph College. Despite trailing by just three at halftime, the Monarchs were unable to slow the Wildcats' strong second-half shooting and fell 77–71 inside the Frances and Don Giles Gymnasium.
JUST THE FACTS
Final score: Randolph def. Methodist, 77–71
Records: Methodist 1-2, Randolph 1-2
Location: Frances and Don Giles Gymnasium; Lynchburg, Virginia
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The opening minutes featured back-and-forth scoring before Methodist grabbed a 13–10 lead behind early contributions from juniors KJ Brooks and Xavion White who scored four points apiece. Randolph countered with a 6-0 run to take the first multi-possession advantage of the night.
- After a slow offensive stretch for both teams, a jumper by Dontavious Pettaway cut the deficit down to 25–20 with under six minutes remaining. In the closing minutes of the half, the Monarchs found a spark as Brooks, Brian Bullock, and Tomas Stevens knocked down their own three-pointers to briefly put Methodist ahead 29–28. Randolph answered with an 8-4 spurt to take a 36–33 lead into halftime.
- The Wildcats came out firing in the second half, scoring the first 10 points to build a double-digit lead. Methodist attempted to respond as Tre' Williams hit two three-pointers and Bullock added another, but Randolph matched every basket and added one more to go ahead 54–42. The Monarchs struggled to score over the next eight minutes, while Randolph extended the margin to 66–50 with six minutes to play.
- With under three minutes remaining, the Monarch mounted a late surge. Brooks, Bullock, and Williams combined for a 14-2 run to cut the deficit down to 75–69, but time ran out on the comeback effort as Randolph held on for the win.
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
- Methodist had three players score 14 or more points, with Williams leading the way with a career-high 20 points, going 7-of-12 from the floor, including four triples. He was followed by Bullock, who posted his first career double-double (15 points and 10 rebounds), while Brooks added 14.
- The Monarchs knocked down a season-high 10 three-pointers, their most in nearly a year–– last achieved on December 14, 2024, at Guilford College.
UP NEXT
Methodist continues its stretch of games in Virginia this weekend, competing in the Carlyle Whitelow Classic hosted by Bridgewater College. The Monarchs open the event against Eastern Mennonite University on Saturday at 4 PM.
