Rocky Mount, N.C. - The North Carolina Wesleyan men's basketball team opened up USA South play on Saturday afternoon with a 73-65 win over Piedmont College in the league opener for both squads. At halftime, Wesleyan honored former Battling Bishop standout Roger Taylor, whose retired jersey #44 was officially unveiled in Everett Gymnasium.

Wesleyan (7-5, 1-0 USA South) trailed 30-23 with 1:20 to go in the first half, but the Bishops ended the period with a 9-0 run to take a a slim 32-30 lead into the break. NCWC went on to shoot nearly 52 percent from the floor in the second half to secure the 8-point victory. Wesleyan got a game- and season-high 19 points from senior Jalen Cannady, who knocked down 7-of-9 attempts from the floor.

The win capped an exciting day in Everett Gym and the adjacent Taylor Center.

Roger Taylor made a name for himself as one of the greatest players in the history of the Battling Bishop men's basketball program. A two-time MVP 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 District 29 in scoring in 1970. In addition, he earned All-Academic, Most Outstanding Student-Athlete, and All-American accolades, becoming the first Bishop to earn such an honor in any sport.

Taylor is one of only two NCWC men's basketball players to have his jersey retired and has twice been voted one of the Top-Ten players to ever wear a Bishop uniform. He still holds two of highest single-game point totals in history, as well as the single-season rebounding average record. A member of Wesleyan's 1999 inaugural Hall of Fame class, he received the same honor from the USA South Conference Hall of Fame in 2011.

An immensely successful businessman in the field of financial advising, Taylor is a current Trustee at Wesleyan and is a past President of the Alumni Association at both NCWC and Louisburg College. In 1978, he was honored with Wesleyan's Distinguished Alumnus Service Award, and in 2009, he was awarded NCWC's Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award, the College's highest honor.

Roger and his wife, Gaile, reside in Rocky Mount and have seven children and ten grandchildren! They continue to be big parts of the Wesleyan and Louisburg communities, as well as the surrounding area. They are proud supporters of the NCWC Honors Program, which is celebrating its 5-year anniversary this academic year, the Nash Healthcare Foundation, and the Roger & Gaile Davenport Taylor Four Daughter's Children Section in the Harold D. Cooley Library in Nashville. The couple is also responsible for numerous endowed scholarships, as well as the transformation of Louisburg's Holton Gym into the Roger G. Taylor Athletic Center, which includes the Roger G. & Gaile D. Taylor Hall of Fame and Hurricane Club.

Their philanthropy at Wesleyan is apparent as well, as evidenced by the beautiful Roger G. & Gaile D. Taylor Center and Athletics Hall of Fame adjacent to Everett Gymnasium. Prior to tip-off, in fact, the College hosted a special reception and ceremony in the Taylor Center to show its appreciation for the couple and their generous support of N.C. Wesleyan over the years. The event featured a proclamation of "Roger Taylor Day" by the City of Rocky Mount, as well as the unveiling of the Taylors' portrait in the facility. Taylor, President Dewey Clark, and Vice Presidents Michael Pratt and John Thompson each offered remarks to a large crowd of family and friends.

"It's not about trophies and awards," said Taylor, adding, "It's the legacy you leave behind."