High Point, N.C. - The men's basketball team of North Carolina Wesleyan tipped off the 2015-16 season on Sunday, taking on Division I High Point University on the road. The Panthers shot nearly 60 percent from the floor en route to a 93-69 victory over the Bishops.
Wesleyan's first basket of the season came on a lay-up by senior Devontae Williams just 25 seconds in. Unfortunately, it would mark NCWC's only lead of the contest as HPU reeled off the game's next nine points. A three-pointer by Bishop senior D.J. Weaver got Wesleyan as close as 11-8 at the 15:41 mark, and a Brandon Brown trey saw the Bishops trail just 31-27 with 4:07 left in the opening half.
Successful free throw trips by a pair of Panthers, however, pushed the HPU lead back up to 35-27, and they would eventually take a 42-35 advantage into the break.
The Bishops cut the lead to five, 42-37, on a Weaver jumper that opened the second half. HPU proceeded to go on an 18-4 run over the next five minutes for a 19-point advantage, and Wesleyan would get no closer than 15 the rest of the way.
Brown finished with a team-high 15 points, while sophomore Adrian Moore joined him in double-figures with 11. Williams and fellow senior Shannon Huff pulled down seven rebounds apiece.
Wesleyan (0-1) returns to action on Tuesday when the Bishops travel to Mid-Atlantic Christian University for an 8:00pm match-up with the Mustangs.