Rocky Mount, N.C. - The Battling Bishops of North Carolina Wesleyan used a 25-3 second half run to pull away from visiting Shenandoah, eventually securing a 77-58 victory over the Hornets in Everett Gymnasium on Sunday. The USA South win is the third straight for the Bishops, who move to 9-8 overall and 3-2 in league play.
Holding a slim 27-24 lead at the break, NCWC scored 25 of the first 28 points in the second half to open up a 52-27 advantage with just over 12 minutes remaining. Five different Bishops scored during the stretch, including senior Matt Dougherty who netted seven over the course of the pivotal run.
Shenandoah (4-15, 2-4 USA South) got as close as 13 at the 7:42 mark thanks to the hot shooting of Dominic Chappell. Chappell knocked down five three-pointers on the day, all in the second half. The Bishops, however, countered with big threes by Cornelius Snow and Josh Morrison to erase any thoughts of an SU comeback.
For Wesleyan, senior Domarius Thomas poured in a game-high 16 points, while Dougherty finished with 13. Fellow senior Alex Murray notched an impressive double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds. As a team, the Bishops dominated with glass with a 48-27 advantage on the boards.
Chappell paced the Hornets with a team-high 15 points.
The Bishops continue USA South play on Wednesday when they travel to Ferrum College for a 7:30pm match-up with the Panthers.