Raleigh, N.C. - In Wednesday's USA South hoops action, the Avenging Angels of Meredith College forged a 35-23 lead at the break and did not look back en route to a 68-53 victory over North Carolina Wesleyan in Raleigh. The Battling Bishops got as close as three points in the second half but were unable to overcome the 12-point halftime deficit.

After holding a double-digit advantage for much of the game, Meredith survived a furious Wesleyan rally midway the second half that saw the Bishops cut the lead to nine, 50-41, on a pair of Taylor Williams free throws with 9:00 remaining. After an Angel free throw, NCWC continued its run with a 7-0 spurt that pulled the Bishops within three, 51-48, at the 7:35 mark.

Unfortunately, Wesleyan would get no closer. Meredith regained its composure against the Bishop press to score nine of the game's next 11 points to go back up ten, 60-50, with less than five minutes to go, eventually sealing the 15-point victory.

Senior NeTaih Davis paced the Bishops with a team-high nine points, while sophomore Kenyata Harris chipped in eight points and eight rebounds. Meredith's Jessi Hayes torched the Bishops for a second time this season, pouring in a game-high 21 points.

The difference in the game came at the free throw line where Meredith (6-6, 5-1 USA South) knocked down 17-of-26 attempts on the night. Wesleyan was awarded just nine total trips to the charity stripe, connecting on five of those chances.

The Bishops now stand at 3-10 overall, 1-7 in league play. Wesleyan returns home on Saturday and Sunday to host Huntington and LaGrange in a pair of key USA South tilts. Saturday's tip-off with the Hawks is slated for 4:00pm in Everett Gymnasium, followed by a 3:00pm start with the Panthers on Sunday.