Drake and Bishops go 2-0 at Eastern North Carolina Classic

Rocky Mount, NC - Junior Trey Drake averaged 20 points and 7.5 assists per game this weekend, leading his North Carolina Wesleyan men's basketball squad to two wins at the first annual Eastern North Carolina Classic hosted by the Bishops. For his efforts, Drake (pictured) and teammate Jarmel Arrington were named to the All-Classic team after helping Wesleyan turn in 85-51 and 94-81 victories over Norwich University and Emory & Henry College, respectively. With the wins, the Battling Bishops remain perfect on the young season with a 4-0 overall record.

On Friday night, Wesleyan's defense held the Cadets to just 51 points en route to the 34-point victory.  The Bishops, who led 52-26 at the break, shot 41 percent from the floor in the contest and held a 53-35 advantage on the boards.

Drake led all players with a game-high 20 points and dished out seven assists.  Senior Adam Coleman managed a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds, while junior Lamont Stokes and Arrington chipped in 12 points apiece.  Wesleyan also got 25 points from its bench, led by Josh Rose's five.

On Saturday, the Bishops and Wasps treated Everett Gym fans to a fast-paced shootout that showcased the tremendous speed of each squad.  Wesleyan held a slim 47-40 lead the break but put together a 15-4 run over the first five minutes of the second half to pull away. 

The Bishops led by as many as 20 on several occasions midway through the period, and EHC would get no closer that 10 the rest of the way.

Arrington poured in a game-high 34 points to go along with another 20 by Drake. Junior Alphonzo Frazier rounded out NCWC's double-figure scorers with 10 points and eight boards.

For Emory & Henry, Jarell Christian turned in a team-high 21 points, while Kyle Huckins turned in a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds.  Both players joined Drake and Arrington on the All-Classic team.

In other action, Methodist University dropped both of their contests, falling to the Wasps 113-104 on Friday and to the Cadets 71-62 on Saturday.  MU's Mark Jernigan was an All-Classic pick after averaging 21 points per game, while Mike Filipek represented Norwich after turning in 14 points and eight boards on Saturday.

The Bishops will return to action after the Thanksgiving holiday by hosting the Southern Shootout next Saturday and Sunday, which features Shenandoah, Hampden-Sydney, and Mary Washington.  Wesleyan will face off against UMW on Saturday at 7:00 p.m.
 

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