ROCKY MOUNT, N.C.  Methodist University men's basketball was on the road Tuesday night with the team at USA South nemesis North Carolina Wesleyan University. After taking a lead into halftime, the Monarchs were unable to hang on as the Battling Bishops came back to take a 76–72 victory in Everett Gymnasium.

JUST THE FACTS
Final score: Methodist def. Mary Baldwin, 81–69
Records: Methodist 7–16 (3–9 USA South), North Carolina Wesleyan 15–9 (9–4)
Location: Everett Gymnasium; Rocky Mount, North Carolina

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Khalid Chavis-Hinds was a one-man scoring machine for North Carolina Wesleyan, as he recorded 12 of the first 16 team points. Methodist kept pace with the Battling Bishops before a Ron Jones jumper and a Jeremy Mull three-pointer gave the Monarchs their first lead of the night, 18–16. A couple of minutes later, an 8-2 Methodist run put the Monarchs up 26–18, with Derrion Hicklen and Zac Sledge each scoring four points.
• North Carolina Wesleyan returned the favor by registering eight of the next ten points to make it a two-point game, 28–26, until Ke Edwards, Tomas Stevens, and Sledge recorded six straight points for Methodist. The Battling Bishops would outscore the Monarchs 6-4 within the last two and a half minutes to trim the deficit down to 38–32 at the half.
• After the two teams matched point-for-point to start the second half, an 8-0 North Carolina Wesleyan run, with Marquis Eskew accounting for five points, gave the Battling Bishops a 47–45 edge. Later in the contest, Methodist fell behind by as many as seven points until a 13-1 run by the Monarchs flipped the game in their favor, putting them in front 66–61.
• With under three minutes remaining, a pair of threes from North Carolina Wesleyan's James Jones would tie the up at 67 all. Following an exchange of points, Chavis-Hinds converted a three-point play (a field goal and a free throw) to give the lead back to the Battling Bishops, 72–69. Methodist would get a couple more offensive chances to tie the game, but it led to missed shots and free throws for North Carolina Wesleyan to ice the game away.

MORE TO IT

• Sledge and Hicklen were the Monarchs' leading scorers tonight, with 19 and 18, respectively.
• These two teams were near mirror images of each other as both teams took 56 total shots, with the Monarchs making one more basket than the Battling Bishops (27 to 26). Each team also made four three-pointers.

UP NEXT
Methodist returns to action on Thursday, February 20, when the team visits William Peace University for a make-up game. The contest is scheduled to tip-off at 7 PM.