Elizabeth City, N.C. - The 20th-ranked Battling Bishops of North Carolina Wesleyan opened up their 2011-2012 slate on Wednesday evening with a dominating 90-56 victory at Mid-Atlantic Christian University. Wesleyan shot over 56 percent from the floor and 40 percent from behind the arc as 12 players reached the scoring column.
Senior Domarius Thomas paced NCWC with a double-double of 18 points and 12 rebounds. Fellow senior Matt Dougherty also chipped in 18, while Justin Griffith and Devin Nichols netted 12 and 11 points, respectively.
The Bishops (1-0) are now set to host their annual Roger Taylor Invitational over the weekend. The tournament is in its 24th year and is named after North Carolina Wesleyan's first-ever All-American.
Taylor began his "rags to riches" life as the son of a share cropper in Nash County, North Carolina. After a stellar career at Coopers High School, he used basketball as a springboard for a college education. His first stop was Louisburg where he earned his A.A. degree, while receiving recognition as a basketball All-Conference performer, team captain, and Most Outstanding Student-Athlete.
His next stop was North Carolina Wesleyan where he again nabbed numerous honors. A two-time Most Valuable Player and All-Conference selection on the hardwood, he also served as team captain and was named Conference Co-Player of the Year after leading the NAIA in scoring in 1970. In addition, he earned All-Academic, Most Outstanding Student-Athlete, and All-American accolades.
Currently, Taylor is a Trustee at Wesleyan and is a past President of the Alumni Association. In 1978, he was honored with the Distinguished Alumnus Service Award, and in 1992, he was the recipient of Louisburg College's Distinguished Alumni Award. In 2007, he became a member of Louisburg's Board of Trustees, while in 2009, he was awarded NCWC's Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award, the College's highest honor. Finally, Taylor is a member of both NCWC's and Louisburg's Athletic Halls of Fame, while most recently in 2011, he was inducted into the USA South Hall of Fame.
This year's RTI will see Wesleyan take on Maryland Bible College on Friday night at 7:30pm. MBC will then face St. Andrews University on Saturday at 2:00pm, while the Bishops and Knights are slated to wrap up play with a 2:00pm contest on Sunday.