Men's Basketball | 11/15/2008 4:22:45 PM

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. - Both Methodist and Virginia Wesleyan men's basketball teams opened the 2008-09 season at the March F. Riddle Center Saturday afternoon.  The Marlins took the 88-77 win to open their season at 1-0 while the Monarchs start 0-1.

Virginia Wesleyan scored the first two baskets of the game but sophomore Joshua Crumpler came back with a 3-pointer to cut into the Marlins lead at 4-3.  Virginia Wesleyan went on to take a 19-9 lead, but Methodist closed the lead to 22-17 on a jumper by sophomore Leland Jones.  The Marlins led by as many as 12 in the first half and finished with the 49-37 lead at halftime.

Both teams exchanged baskets to start the second half.  Virginia Wesleyan took a 14-point lead, but Methodist senior #A.B. Lehmann# came back with a 3-pointer at the other end for the Monarchs.  The Marlins led by 10 with a little more than two minutes to play when Methodist freshman Mark Jernigan stole the ball and made the layup to trail by eight.  With time running out, the Monarchs were forced to foul and Virginia Wesleyan converted on 8-for-13 in the final two minutes to win 88-77.

Crumpler led the Monarchs with 20 points while junior Tyler Sigman and Jones had 10 points a piece.  Jernigan paced Methodist on the boards with five but the team was out rebounded 44-28.

Quinton McDuffie led Virginia Wesleyan with 24 points while Stephen Fields had 17 and Travis Meyers added 12.  McDuffie was just shy of the double-double with nine rebounds.

The Monarchs will be back at the Riddle Center on Sunday at 3 pm against Guilford College.

Box Score