The University of Mary Washington men's basketball team overcame a five-point halftime deficit to storm past Virginia Wesleyan University, 71-58, on Sunday afternoon in Virginia Beach. Senior guard Riley Welch netted a team-high 15 for the Eagles, who improve to 6-2 on the season.

The Eagles got off to a slow start, as the Marlins jumped ahead, 10-4, in the opening minutes, but baskets by Welch and senior guard Anias Saunders cut the UMW deficit to 10-8 with 13:17 left in the first half. UMW was able to tie the score at 12 and again at 15, but VWU then reeled off eight straight points to lead, 23-15, with 8:34 remaining.

UMW would trail by as many as nine in the following minutes, but a jumper by sophomore Daniel Peterson with 1:59 left capped an Eagle rally that knotted the score at 28-28. VWU had one last run before halftime, and took a 35-30 advantage to intermission.

In the second, UMW scored the first five points to tie the score, but the Marlins kept the Eagles behind for much of the next few minutes. Three free throws from senior guard Ra'Shawn Cook and another triple from Welch gave UMW a 45-44 lead with 14:04 to go. 

Cook, Welch, and Peterson each scored baskets in a 6-0 Eagle run to boost the lead to 51-45 with 11:36 left, but the hosts were able to draw to within one possession on several chances, and cut the deficit to as few as two, at 56-54, with 6:04 remaining. From there, it was all Eagles, with a 15-4 run to finish the contest.

Welch was one of five Eagles in double figures, with 15 points on 6-13 shooting. Da'Shawn Cook scored 13 points, Ra'Shawn Cook added 12, and Saunders posted 11 points and a team-high seven assists. Peterson was the fifth Eagle in double figures with 10 points (on 5-6 shooting) to go with 12 rebounds.

UMW shot 48.3% from the field (28-58), making 8-19 three point attempts and 7-10 free throws. VWU shot 37.3% (22-59), making 7-23 three point tries and 7-10 free throws. UMW held a 37-29 rebounding advantage.

The Eagles will be back in action on Wednesday night, as they visit Methodist University at 7:00 p.m.