Wesleyan falls to CNU in Tournament Championship, 67-63

Newport News, VA - North Carolina Wesleyan saw its hopes for an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament end on Saturday afternoon with a heartbreaking 67-63 loss to homestanding Christopher Newport in the 2010 USA South Tournament Championship. In a game that featured 12 ties and 13 lead changes, the 3rd-seeded Captains pulled the upset over the top-seeded Bishops, snapping Wesleyan's 11-game winning streak in the process. Senior Trey Drake (pictured), who was named the league's Player of the Year earlier in the week, was named to the All-Tournament team after tallying a team-high 16 points versus the Captains and a game-high 22 points and seven assists in Friday's 90-70 semifinal win over Averett.

Saturday's championship saw the Bishops race out to a 12-2 lead thanks to a trio of Drake three-pointers in the first five minutes of the game. Drake knocked down his fourth trey just minutes later for a 15-7 Wesleyan lead, but the ensuing 13-5 run by CNU knotted the score at 20-20 with 8:32 remaining.

The two squads proceeded to trade baskets for the remainder of the half, including a pair of three-pointers inside in the last six seconds of the period. Jarmel Arrington's pulled Wesleyan to within one at 32-31, while Conley Taylor's buzzer-beater gave the Captains a slim 35-31 halftime edge.

In the second half, Wesleyan scored the first five points of the period to take a one-point lead less than two minutes in.  Eleven lead changes later, the Bishops found themselves up 53-51 on a lay-up by Alphonso Frazier at the 7:46 mark. CNU, however, countered with the game's next four points for a
55-53 advantage, and the Captains would not trail again.

Down 64-63 with 36 seconds left, Wesleyan was forced to foul.  The Bishops actually got the missed free throws they needed to extend the game, but they surrendered two key offensive rebounds that allowed the Captains to seal the victory.

CNU was led by Mark Blasingame who notched a double-double with 13 points and ten rebounds, including a game-high four blocks. For his efforts, Blasingame was named the Tournament's Most Valuable Player.

In addition to Drake, Frazier also turned in a solid performance with a double-double of 15 points and 11 rebounds. He, too, was named to the All-Tournament team.

Wesleyan had reached the championship with a 90-70 victory over Averett on Friday afternoon. The Bishops opened up the game with a 7-0 run and never trailed en route to the 20-point victory. Senior Lamont Stokes complimented Drake's 22 with 18 points of his own, while Arrington finished with 12.