The Brevard College men's basketball team (7-6, 2-2 USA South) picked up its second-consecutive USA South Conference home win, winning 83-80 down the stretch against NC Wesleyan (7-8, 1-3 USAS) on Sunday afternoon at the Boshamer Gymnasium.
Twain Wilson, a freshman from Columbia, South Carolina and three-time USA South Rookie of the Week selection, poured in a career-high 24 points to lead the way for the Tornado offense - marking the third double-digit scoring output of the week for the first-year Tornado. Wilson went 9-for-12 from the field with three made 3-pointers and three free throws. He also matched the team lead in rebounds with four and dished three assists.
Senior guard Charlie Hester reached his Brevard career-high with 20 points on six made field goals, including three 3-pointers and five made free throws. Hester also dished out a team-best six assists. Jadon Carnes added 14 points on six field goals and two free throws, and Charles Reed totaled eight points - including six big-time made free throws down the stretch. KK Horton put up six points and four rebounds, while Brennan Wansley matched the team lead with four boards off the bench.
Overall, the Tornados and Battling Bishops were dead even in shooting from the field, with each team going 30-for-55 (55%). Brevard made two more 3-pointers (seven-to-five) than NC Wesleyan and knocked in one more free throw. Brevard narrowly edged the visitors 28-27 on the glass while NCW committed one fewer turnover than Brevard (11-to-10). Brevard scored 46 points in the paint to NCW's 40, and the Tornados outshot NC Wesleyan 57% to 52% in the second half - outscoring the Battling Bishops 51 to 46.
Marquis Eskew (23 points) and Khalid Chavis-Hinds (20 points) scored 43 of NCW's 80 points on the afternoon. Markquan Gilbert added 12 points and six rebounds, and James Jones scored 10 off the bench. Shakei Hines blocked three shots defensively.
NC Wesleyan controlled the first half and opened a 15-point lead, 33-18, with six minutes left to play. However, Brevard ended the first half on a 14-1 scoring run over the final six minutes of action to pull within just two points at the break, 34-32. Wilson led the way with 11 first-half points, while Hester added nine on three made 3-pointers.
Brevard's positive momentum carried into the second stanza, as the Tornados went on an 18-8 scoring stretch through the first five minutes to take an eight-point lead, 50-42, forcing a Battling Bishops timeout. Brevard was able to maintain a lead for the remainder of the game, resisting the visitors who drew within one possession a total of seven times. Brevard did not surrender the lead or allow the score to draw even throughout the remainder of the second half.
With the Tornados up by just one possession, 68-65, with 3:25 left to play, Wilson drained a clutch corner 3-pointer that was followed by a layup at the 2:05 mark by Horton, pushing the Brevard lead to eight at 73-65. Reed made four-straight free throws to maintain the edge, 77-70, and hit the back-end of two to keep the Tornados up six, 78-72, with 54 seconds to go.
Jones drained a transition 3-pointer at the 48-second mark as the Battling Bishops drew within one possession once again, but Wilson nailed two free throws to push the Brevard lead back up to five points, 80-75. Wilson then hit the first of two from the stripe to push the lead to six, and despite another made 3-pointer from NCW's Omari Bolden, the Tornados were not deterred. Brevard broke the Battling Bishop press and Wilson found Carnes for a transition layup that sealed the game. NCW's last-second layup proved too late as Brevard walked away with the three-point conference win, 83-80.
The Tornados will now prepare for a Saturday road trip to Raleigh to face William Peace with tip-off scheduled for 2 p.m.