By Benton Heck, Sports Information Student Assistant 

VIRGINIA BEACH, Virginia -- Ferrum College fell 79-58 this afternoon to Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) opponent Virginia Wesleyan University in men's basketball action at TowneBank Arena at the Jane P. Batten Student Center.

RECORDS 
Virginia Wesleyan (14-9, 10-4 ODAC)
Ferrum (5-18, 0-14 ODAC)

THE BASICS
Ferrum took an early 6-2 lead after Bryce Hall and Michael Spraggins hit back to back three-pointers. Ferrum and Va. Wesleyan battled back and forth over the next couple of minutes, before Kelvin Nicholson two free throws and gave the Marlins the lead, which they would not surrender for the rest of the game.

Virginia Wesleyan used an 11-0 run to take a 35-23 lead, with Spraggins hitting a three-pointer to stop Ferrum's scoring drought. Both teams went scoreless in the final 1:21 of the first half, giving the Marlins a 42-35 lead.

Taqwain Drummond opened the scoring for the Panthers in the second half, breaking a three minute scoring drought for both teams going back to the first half. A Mile Wallace three-pointer sparked a 16-2 run for the Marlins midway through the second half. James Smith Jr. hit a jumper to put an end to the run, cutting the lead to 14. Virginia Wesleyan outscored Ferrum 19-12 over the final nine and a half minutes, to capture the ODAC win. VWU's Nicholson led all scorers with 18 points on the afternoon.

KEY STATS
Ferrum: Spraggins 15 pts, 8 reb; James smith Jr. 14 pts, 4 reb; Hall 8 pts
Virginia Wesleyan: Nicholson 18 pts, 4 reb; Cory Pelham 12 pts, Omari Deveaux 12 pts

UP NEXT
Coach Tyler Sanborn's team will be back in action Wednesday February 16, for Senior Day, hosting Lynchburg College with a 7:00 p.m. tip-off in Swartz Gymnasium.