Buena Vista, Va. – The Southern Virginia University men's basketball team fell in a hard-fought 63-59 loss to North Carolina Wesleyan University, dropping to 18-5 on the season in a tightly contested conference matchup.

In a game defined by defense, both teams combined for 12 blocks and 21 steals, making it one of the lowest-scoring contests of the season for the Knights. With Southern Virginia's leading scorer out, the team leaned on its depth, and several bench players stepped up with key contributions on both ends of the court.

The game started slowly for both teams, but the Knights' offense found its rhythm behind Jude Ballstaedt and Kade Harrick, who each knocked down three-pointers to build momentum. However, the Battling Bishops countered with exceptional free-throw shooting, finishing 22-24 (91.7%) from the line, including a perfect 8-8 in the first half.

Southern Virginia briefly regained the lead on a Hyrum McConkie free throw, but North Carolina Wesleyan responded with a 7-0 scoring run, sending the Knights into halftime trailing 31-24.

Coming out of the break, the Knights surged behind Tyler Kartchner and Christian Goode, cutting the deficit to just one. Goode continued his strong offensive play, and with seven minutes remaining, Luc DeVore and Ballstaedt hit key shots to tie the game at 48-48.

The final five minutes turned into a free-throw battle, with both teams capitalizing from the line. The Bishops converted clutch opportunities, extending their lead to 59-51 with just 1:14 left. Harrick and Tillman Johnson helped trim the deficit to a one-possession game, but the Knights ultimately fell short.

Goode and Kartchner led the team with 13 points each, while Johnson added 12. The decisive factor came on the boards, as North Carolina Wesleyan outrebounded Southern Virginia 43-32, giving them key second-chance opportunities.

Southern Virginia now returns home for their final regular-season home game against Mary Baldwin University on Tuesday, February 18th. The Knights previously defeated the Fighting Squirrels 74-61 earlier in the season and will look to bounce back in front of their home crowd.

For the most up-to-date information and details on the team, visit knightathletics.com and follow @knight_hoops on Instagram.