Rocky Mount, NC – The Southern Virginia University men's basketball team fell in a hard-fought contest to North Carolina Wesleyan University, 67-63, marking their first conference loss of the season. The defeat snaps the Knights' ten-game winning streak, bringing their record to 14-3 overall and 5-1 in the USA South. The Bishops, picked to finish first in the preseason coaches' poll, demonstrated their strength in a game featuring 11 lead changes and nine ties.

The Knights opened strong, jumping to an 8-2 lead behind powerful play in the paint from Tillman Johnson and Tyler Kartchner. The Bishops responded quickly, evening the score after seven minutes of play. The remainder of the first half saw back-and-forth action, with both teams trading the lead. DJ Green provided a spark for Southern Virginia, hitting a pair of clutch three-pointers late in the half, but the Bishops managed to take a 29-26 lead into halftime.

Southern Virginia struggled to find rhythm early in the second half, falling behind by seven points. Eli Ballstaedt ignited a rally with a personal eight-point run in less than a minute, cutting the Bishops' lead to two. Green followed with back-to-back layups to tie the game at 45, and Ballstaedt's free throws briefly put the Knights ahead.

Despite taking a 52-48 lead following a Green jumper, the Knights endured a five-minute scoring drought that allowed NC Wesleyan to reclaim momentum. Johnson eventually broke the dry spell with a jumper, but Southern Virginia's offense fell just short down the stretch, resulting in the narrow defeat.

Key Performances:

• Eli Ballstaedt: Team-high 18 points, leading the offensive push.

• Tillman Johnson: Contributed 15 points, key rebounds, and broke critical scoring droughts.

• DJ Green: Added 14 points, including crucial plays to tie the game in the second half.

• Tyler Kartchner: Dominated the boards with 13 rebounds, narrowly missing a double-double with seven points.

• Christian Goode: Contributed seven points, six rebounds, and a team-high four steals.

While the Knights excelled in the paint, outscoring the Bishops 36-26 and winning the rebounding battle 38-34, their struggles from beyond the arc proved costly. Southern Virginia shot just 21.4% (3-14) from three-point range compared to NC Wesleyan's 45% (9-20), a critical factor in the game's outcome.

The Knights will look to rebound in their next matchup as they host a conference game against Brevard College on Saturday, January 25th, at 2:00 PM.

For the latest updates on the team, visit knightathletics.com and follow @knight_hoops on Instagram.