Bishop men drop last-second heartbreaker, women fall at CNU

Newport News, VA - North Carolina Wesleyan’s hoops squads suffered a USA South doubleheader sweep on the road at Christopher Newport on Wednesday night. In the men’s game, CNU’s Theo Baker nailed a gamewinning three-pointer with 1.3 seconds remaining to send the Bishops to a heartbreaking 74-71 defeat, while on the women’s side, a game-high 25 points by senior Essence Chambers was not enough as NCWC dropped a 75-63 decision.

In the mens’ game, the Captains (9-6, 2-0 USAC) forged a 16-point first half lead when a Baker lay-up at the 3:57 mark put CNU on top 41-25.  Wesleyan, however, closed out the half with an 11-0 run to go into the break facing a five-point deficit at 41-36.

Down 51-45 in the second half, the Bishops (10-5, 0-2 USAC) got back-to-back three-pointers from Jarmel Arrington to knot the game at 51-51 with 11:36 remaining.  After trading baskets in the paint, the Captains managed to score the game’s next seven points to go up 60-53, and they held a 71-66 advantage with 1:22 remaining.

It was in the game’s final three minutes that NCWC’s Trey Drake, who struggled offensively for most of the game, caught fire. Drake knocked down three jumpers, including one for a three-point play, while dishing out the game-tying assist to Lamont Stokes with 15 ticks left on the clock.

Tied 71-71, the stage was set for Baker’s heroics when senior guard Davon Barton drove and kicked the ball to him in the corner. Baker proceeded to drain the game-winning three with 1.3 seconds remaining for the 74-71 final.

Baker finished with a team-high 17 points, while Barton had a double-double with 13 points and 10 assists. All five Captain starters reached double figures.

The Bishops were led by Stokes’ 18 points, while Drake and Arrington had 14 and 12, respectively. Senior Adam Coleman pulled down 11 rebounds on the night, and junior Alphonzo Frazier chipped in 10 points off the bench.

On the women’s side, NCWC (4-8, 2-3 USAC) led the Captains 12-11 midway through the first half when sophomore Gretchen Tobias knocked down a jumper at the 11:13 mark. The ensuing 8-0 run put together by the Captains, however, gave CNU the lead for good as they went on to lead 33-26 at the half.

Wesleyan shot 50 percent from the field in the second half, but unfortunately, the Bishops struggled to gain any ground as the Captains shot 51 percent themselves. NCWC got no closer than seven points at 56-49 with 9:55 remaining.

In addition to Chambers performance, freshman T’Keya Holloway chipped in 10 points and eight rebounds. Freshman Meredith Mills added seven points and dished out three assists.

For CNU (10-2, 5-0 USAC), Kimmy Hopkins had 23 points, while Chelsie Schweers and Jerlisa Bowser recorded 14 and 12, respectively.  Jessica Moore contributed 10 points and pulled down seven boards.

Wesleyan’s men and women return to action at home on Saturday when Greensboro College visits Everett Gymnasium on Alumni Day. The women’s game will tip off at 2:00 p.m. followed by the men’s game at 4:00 p.m.

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