Shenandoah hoopsters earn doubleheader sweep of Bishops

Rocky Mount, NC - The men's and women's basketball teams of Shenandoah University earned a USA South doubleheader sweep of North Carolina Wesleyan on Saturday afternoon in Everett Gymnasium.  In the women's game, the Hornets led by as many as 23 in the second half en route to a 64-47 victory, while in the men's game, Shenandoah survived a furious Bishop rally over the final four minutes to secure a 68-65 win.

The Lady Hornets (8-5, 4-2 USAC) held Wesleyan (4-6, 2-1 USAC) to just 21 percent shooting in the first half and held a 27-17 advantage at the break. Wesleyan got as close as 54-42 in the second period, but SU closed out the game with a 10-5 run to secure the final margin of victory.

Alexis Hargbol paced the Hornets with 14 points and 10 rebounds, while Kerby Hatter chipped in 11 points off the bench thanks to a 9-for-12 performance at the free throw line.

Freshman Angel Smith paced the Bishops with a team-high 12 points and seven rebounds. Senior Essence Chambers finished with 11 points and four assists.

In the men's game, Shenandoah (6-9, 1-1 USAC) never trailed from start to finish.  Tied 12-12 at the 9:28 mark, the Hornets out-scored the Bishops 18-5 the rest of the period to forge a 30-17 halftime lead.  They went on to lead by as many as 20 at 37-17 and held a 60-47 advantage with 4:12 left in regulation.

It was then, however, that Wesleyan (10-4, 0-1 USAC) put together a 16-4 run to pull within one point at 64-63 with 18 seconds left.  SU's Brandon Bryan proceeded to go 4-for-4 at the free throw line over the final ticks, and a Trey Drake three-point attempt to tie the game fell short as time expired.

Drake finished with a game-high 23 points, while Jarmel Arrington chipped in 11. Freshman Alex Murray hauled in 12 rebounds on the day.

For Shenandoah, Kevin Kline turned in a team-high 17 points, while Chris Schrader recorded a double-double with 13 points and 10 boards.

The Bishop women travel to Peace College on Monday at 7:00 p.m., while both Bishop squads will be in action on Wednesday when NCWC travels to Christopher Newport for 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. match-ups with the Captains.