Courtesy of Bryan Jones, Greensboro College Sports Information Director:
ROCKY MOUNT, N.C.—North Carolina Wesleyan College’s Damon McDowell posted a 39-point effort as Greensboro College dropped a Friday evening USA South Athletic Conference (USA South) contest to the Battling Bishops, 96-83.
The Pride (3-6, 1-0 USA South) posted a ten-point lead seven-and-a-half minutes into the contest as both teams engaged in a high-scoring opening period. Greyson Collins scored 14 of the Pride’s first 21 points to start the contest as Greensboro held an early advantage. N.C. Wesleyan’s 16-6 run leading to the 5:57 mark of the first half evened the contest as both sides traded the lead throughout the rest of the half. The Battling Bishops’ lead in the half grew as large as four points in the late stages of the period with the Pride able to get their lead back to two. Both sides exchanged leads seven times before halftime.
N.C. Wesleyan (4-3, 1-0 USA South) extended their lead to seven points just under three minutes into the second half. The Pride cut the deficit back down to three thanks to a Meertins field goal with a made free throw after the foul. N.C. Wesleyan posted a quick 7-0 run over the next 52 seconds to pull the lead back to ten points. Greensboro capped N.C. Wesleyan’s lead as the Pride chopped down the lead to five points and kept the deficit in single digits heading into the final ten minutes of the period. The Battling Bishops began to pull away, growing a lead as large as 16 points, on the way to their win.
The Pride shot 48.3 percent from the field compared the Battling Bishops’ blistering 62.7-percent effort, shooting over 60 percent in both halves. N.C. Wesleyan out-rebounded the Pride, 34-25, and held the advantage in points-in-the-paint, 46-30. NC Wesleyan converted Greensboro’s miscues in 39 points-off-turnovers compared to Greensboro’s 19 points off the Battling Bishops’ miscues.
Collins posted a career-high 29 points on ten-of-17 shooting, including seven-of-ten shooting from three-point range. Meertins finished the game with 21 points on eight-of-twelve shooting while adding four rebounds. Amillia Huggins came off the bench to add eleven points on four-of-four shooting. Matthew Brown led the Pride’s rebounding effort, posting seven rebounds.
McDowell shot 15-for-21 from the field for N.C. Wesleyan, adding six rebounds and five steals. Isaiah Lewis and Khalid Chavis each added 16 points apiece.
The Pride and Battling Bishops will matchup for the third time this season, the second in official USA South play, Sunday at 2 p.m. inside Hanes Gym.