Rocky Mount, N.C. / Brevard, N.C. - The N.C. Wesleyan men's and women's basketball teams each suffered tough defeats on Sunday afternoon. The women saw division-leading Greensboro erase a 19-point second half deficit to steal the 3-point win in Everett Gym, 68-65, while men's action ended with Brevard coming back from 17 down to drain a buzzer-beating trey that sank the Bishops on the road, 78-77.
NCWC's women were coming off an 84-71 loss to Salem College on Saturday, despite getting a season-high 18 points from junior Cheria Turrentine. The Bishops looked to have turned things around on Sunday, forging a 21-8 lead over the Pride after one quarter of play and taking an eventual 34-26 lead into the break. Sophomore Vontasia Olds sparked Wesleyan's first half efforts with a trio of three-pointers off the bench.
The Bishops went on to lead by as many as 19 in the third quarter, although a 6-0 Pride run would cut the deficit to 13 heading into the fourth. GC continued to chip away down the stretch, taking its first lead of the day, 65-63, with 54 seconds left. The Bishops managed one more tie, but the Pride's Kamerin Williams knocked down a trio of free throws in the final seconds to provide the difference. Olds and junior Nadiya Holley, who combined for 30 points on the day, each managed potential game-tying shots in the waning seconds to no avail.
On the mens' side, Brevard used an 18-7 run midway the second half erase a 17-point Bishop lead and pull to within two possessions, 66-60, with just under seven minutes remaining. When the dust settled, NCWC found itself clinging to a 76-75 lead with 10 seconds to go. NCWC sophomore A.J. Frye proceeded to connect on 1-of-2 chances at the charity stripe with 9.2 seconds on the clock, setting the stage for Brevard's last-second prayer. The Bishops actually stripped the ball on that final possession, but it found its way into the hands of BC's Levi Lamb, who drained a trey from the right corner as time expired.
Fortunately, Sunday's loss had no effect on the conference standings. Saturday's key USA South action saw Wesleyan pick up an 82-76 win at Piedmont. Senior Adrian Moore, who had 18 on Sunday at Brevard, poured in a game-high 23 points to pace NCWC in the win. Freshman Damon McDowell added 18 off the bench, while junior Robert Wilson notched a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
Both teams return to action on Wednesday night. The Bishop women (7-10, 4-5 USA South) travel to Pfeiffer University for 7:00pm tilt, while Wesleyan's men (8-8, 6-3 USA South) host William Peace at 7:30pm in Everett Gym.