ROCKY MOUNT, N.C.  After watching a lead of more than 20 points slip away, the Methodist men's basketball team evaded catastrophe on Thursday evening, rallying for an overtime victory on the road against North Carolina Wesleyan University. The Monarchs brought the offensive firepower, scoring 90 points in the team's third overtime win this season.

JUST THE FACTS
Final score: Methodist def. North Carolina Wesleyan, 90–86 (OT)
Records: Methodist 9–10 (5–4 USA South), North Carolina Wesleyan 14–6 (6–3 USA South)
Location: Everett Gymnasium; Rocky Mount, North Carolina

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Monarchs outplayed the Battling Bishops in the first half, shooting nearly 70% from the field and making five of nine shots from behind the three-point arc. With the score tied at 5–5, Methodist outscored N.C. Wesleyan 21–7 to take a 14-point lead with more than 12 minutes still remaining in the first half. The scoring run featured three-pointers by Tre' Williams, O'Montae Daniels and KJ Brooks. The Monarchs continued to build a lead, with back-to-back buckets by Tomas Stevens stretching the gap to 21 points (37–16 with 7:30 to go). Stevens canned a three just before the halftime buzzer to send his team into the break with a 48–27 advantage.
 
N.C. Wesleyan's 12–3 run to start the second half cut the difference down to 12 points with 15 minutes left in regulation. The Monarchs went step for step with the Battling Bishops for a while, still holding a 17-point lead with 7:20 left on the clock. Consecutive three-point makes for N.C. Wesleyan pulled the Battling Bishops within 11, but Brooks went to the line and made Methodist's lead 13 again with a little over six minutes to play.
 
Methodist's double-digit lead quickly turned to single digits, then was entirely erased as the Battling Bishops pieced together a 13-point run to tie the game at 67–67 with three minutes remaining in the second half. Dontavious Pettaway scored the next basket, followed by buckets in the paint from Daniels and Brooks to complete a six-point swing for the Monarchs. Rashod Smith splashed a three for N.C. Wesleyan with 24 seconds to go, then Williams was fouled on the ensuing Methodist possession and sent to the free-throw line. Two makes restored a five-point lead for the Monarchs, but Smith quickly drew a foul of his own and made both attempts to pull N.C. Wesleyan back within three. Methodist turned the ball over with 12 seconds left in the period, and following a timeout, Justin Burden buried a triple to knot the score at 75–75 and send the game to overtime.
 
Stevens was clutch for the Monarchs in the extra period, scoring the team's first bucket through contact and sinking a free-throw to complete the old-fashioned three-point play. The Battling Bishops wound up within two points of Methodist three times during the final two minutes, but each time Stevens subsequently drew a foul, thrice going 2-for-2 at the charity stripe to seal the road win for the Monarchs.

MORE TO IT
It was a career performance for Stevens, who finished the night with 23 points, surpassing his previous career best of 18. The veteran guard went 7-for-9 from the field (2-for-4 from deep) and a perfect 7-for-7 at the free-throw line (all in overtime).
 
Brooks closely followed with 21 points and just one miss from the field (7-for-8), contributing a team-high eight rebounds along the way. Williams and Pettaway each finished with 14.
 
The Monarchs put together their best shooting night of the season, connecting on 59.3% of their shots and a stellar 50% from deep. The team's 90 points, 32 made baskets and eight made three-pointers all rank second-best in a single game this season.

UP NEXT
Methodist travels to Brevard College on Saturday, taking on the Tornados at 2 p.m.