Newport News, VA - The men's basketball team of North Carolina Wesleyan is headed to the USA South Tournament Championship!  The 6th-seeded Battling Bishops earned their right to play for the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament by knocking off 2nd-seeded Greensboro College by an 84-76 score in Friday's semifinal action.  Wesleyan will now face off against top-seeded Averett University in Saturday's championship game slated for 4:30 p.m. in Newport News, VA.

In what turned into a run-and-gun semifinal with the Pride, it was Wesleyan that was able to hold on down the stretch.

Behind 20 points by USA South Rookie of the Year Trey Drake and 16 by All-Conference First-Teamer Lenny Hall, the Bishops were able to forge a 48-38 lead at the break.  Wesleyan shot 60 percent as a team in the opening period, but a 13-for-17 performance at the free throw line by Greensboro kept the Pride within striking distance... and strike back they did.

Greensboro found itself down 53-40 with 17:55 remaining in the second half.  The Pride then put together a 17-4 run over the next seven minutes to pull even at 57-57 at the 10:45 mark, and GC managed to take a brief 60-57 lead just seconds later on three-pointer by Adam Nicholson.

NCWC's Jarvis Cobb, however, answered by knocking down three consecutive treys of his own to put the Bishops back on top.  The two teams then traded baskets over the next three minutes.

A Cobb lay-up with 6:35 on the clock gave the Bishops a slim 72-69 lead that was quickly erased by a Lynn Bright game-tying three-pointer just ten seconds later.  For the second time in the half, the Pride pushed ahead by three only to see Cobb come to the rescue for Wesleyan.

The sharp-shooting sophomore connected on his fourth bomb of the period to tie the game at 75-75 at the 4:27 mark.  Less than a minute later, Drake knocked down two free throws to put NCWC on top at 77-75, and the Bishops would not trail again as they closed the game with a 12-1 run.

Hall led all scorers with 27 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists on the night.  Drake finished with 22, while Cobb netted 16, all in the second half.  Sophomore Adam Coleman pulled down a game-high 14 boards for the Bishops.

Nicholson led Greensboro with 15 points.  Bright added 14 points and 13 rebounds.

Now 12-14 overall, Wesleyan is one game away from its first NCAA Tournament berth since 2002.  The Bishops, however, will have their work cut out for them.  AU (19-6) swept Wesleyan by 81-72 and 70-53 scores during the regular season.