Rocky Mount, N.C. — The Southern Virginia University men's basketball team dropped an 89–72 road decision to the Bishops of N.C. Wesleyan University on Saturday afternoon.

The Knights opened the game on the back foot, falling behind 9–2 before a three-pointer from DJ Green jumpstarted the offense. The frontcourt duo of Hyrum McConkie and Austin Mitchell found early success inside, helping Southern Virginia chip away at the deficit, but the Knights could get no closer than five points. Tillman Johnson took control late in the half, scoring nine points in a two-minute stretch, while Mason Hunter added five of his own. Despite the surge, the Bishops capitalized offensively to push the lead into double figures.

At the break, Johnson led Southern Virginia with 12 points, while Ashton Davis added six. N.C. Wesleyan leaned heavily on interior efficiency in the first half, attempting just five three-pointers while scoring 28 points in the paint on 66.7% (18-of-27) shooting and 90.0% (9-of-10) from the free-throw line. The Knights worked to counter on the glass, holding an 8–2 advantage in offensive rebounds.

Out of halftime, Jude Ballstaedt sparked the Knights by scoring seven of Southern Virginia's first points in the opening three minutes. Back-to-back buckets from Johnson again trimmed the deficit to five, but the Bishops answered with an 8–0 run to regain control. Southern Virginia responded with a 9–0 run of its own, fueled by seven points from Green, and a Ballstaedt three cut the margin to 63–60 with seven minutes remaining. From there, N.C. Wesleyan closed the game by consistently attacking the basket, converting layups and free throws to seal the win.

Green, Ballstaedt, and Johnson all finished in double figures, with Johnson leading the Knights with 17 points. Southern Virginia shot 39.7% (25-of-63) from the field and 29.0% (9-of-31) from three-point range but could not match the Bishops' efficiency, as N.C. Wesleyan shot 61.5% (32-of-52) overall and outscored the Knights 46–24 in the paint.

Southern Virginia now sits at 12–10 overall and 8–4 in conference play and will look to conclude its road trip at Mary Baldwin University on Tuesday, February 17, at 7:00 p.m.

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