Buena Vista, Va. – The Southern Virginia University men's basketball team opened USA South conference play with a strong 78–67 win over Methodist University on Saturday afternoon.

The Knights came out firing with six straight points from Jude Ballstaedt, Tillman Johnson, and Austin Mitchell to set the tone early. DJ Green added a three to keep momentum rolling, but Methodist clawed back to tie the game at 19 with 10 minutes left in the half. Tied again at 25, Southern Virginia responded with a powerful surge—back-to-back layups from Ashton Davis sparked a 12–0 run over three minutes, capped by a Ballstaedt three and baskets from Hyrum McConkie to send the Knights into halftime leading 43–31.

Southern Virginia dominated the glass in the opening half, outrebounding the Monarchs 16–5. Methodist stayed in striking distance by capitalizing in transition, with 24 of its 31 first-half points coming on fast breaks.

Both teams traded baskets to start the second half before the Knights extended their lead. Mason Hunter and Green buried a pair of threes to give Southern Virginia its largest advantage of the day at 17 with 12 minutes remaining. Methodist responded with full-court pressure and a hot stretch from beyond the arc, trimming the lead to single digits. However, the Knights stayed composed at the free-throw line as Ballstaedt and Davis knocked down crucial shots to halt the Monarchs' momentum. Methodist cut the deficit to as close as six with under three minutes to play, but Davis, Johnson, and McConkie powered the Knights back ahead by nine before a clutch Johnson three-pointer helped secure the victory. Ballstaedt finished it off at the line to lock in the 78–67 win.

Southern Virginia's rebounding and composure proved decisive, as the Knights finished with a 35–23 advantage on the boards and converted 20 free throws in the contest.

Ashton Davis was outstanding off the bench, scoring a game-high 20 points with seven rebounds and two blocks. Ballstaedt added 18 points and a team-high two steals. McConkie finished with 11 points and six rebounds, while Johnson contributed 10 points, seven rebounds, and eight assists in a near double-double performance.

Southern Virginia returns to action at home on January 6 at 2:00 PM when they host Brevard College. The Knights hold a 4–2 all-time advantage over the Tornados and are currently on a two-game winning streak in the series.

For all the latest updates on Southern Virginia University men's basketball, visit knightathletics.com and follow @knight_mbb on Instagram.