UMW's 18 treys too much for Bishops, NCWC falls 85-79

Rocky Mount, NC - The University of Mary Washington connected on 18-of-39 attempts from behind the arc to steal an 85-79 win over North Carolina Wesleyan on Tuesday evening at Everett Gymnasium.  The Bishops, who trailed 46-32 at the half, battled back to take the lead late in the game.  The Eagles, however, knocked down 5-of-6 free throws down the stretch to secure the victory.  With the win, UMW improves to 3-0, while Wesleyan drops to 0-3.

The Eagles led by as many as 18 in the opening period when Jon Pierce's bomb gave UMW a 46-28 lead with 1:41 left in the half.  Wesleyan closed the half with a Sharard Carmichael jumper and two free throws by Trey Drake to cut the deficit to 14 going into the break.

It was all Drake in the second half as the freshman point guard put the team on his back.  Drake scored 21 of his game-high 27 points in the period, knocking down a trio of three-pointers in the process.  The Bishops opened the half with a 22-9 run that cut the Eagle lead to 55-54 with 12:45 remaining.

The final 12 minutes would see the two squads combine for eight lead changes and two ties.  Wesleyan led by as many as four on an Adam Coleman jumper at the 10:35 mark, and the Bishops enjoyed a two-point lead with just over three minutes remaining.   A Pierce three-pointer, however, gave UMW the lead for good at 78-77 with 3:03 left in regulation. 

Neither team could effectively put the game out of reach as the score remained 78-77 until the Bishops were forced to foul with 48 seconds remaining.  The stage was then set for some clutch free throw shooting by the Eagles to seal the victory.  Ironically, the Bishops, who usually dominate opponents at the charity stripe, were 10-of-18 in the game.

Wesleyan shot nearly 49 percent from the floor on the night.  UMW's 46 percent from downtown, however, proved to be the difference.

In addition to Drake's 27, Carmichael recorded his first double-double of the season with 15 points and 10 rebounds.  Coleman and Lenny Hall chipped in with 14 and 13 points, respectively, while Hall and Emanuel Alston each dished out five assists.

Pierce paced five Eagles in double-figures with a team-high 20 points on 6-of-10 shooting from behind three arc.  A.J. Fitzgerald pulled down eight boards on the night.

The Bishops will next be in action at the Gallaudet Holiday Tournament on Friday and Saturday.  Wesleyan will take on John Jay College on Friday night at 8:00 p.m.