FERRUM, Virginia -- Alfredo Abel-Rivera had a game-high 27 points to lead Ferrum College to an 84-64 non-conference men's basketball win at home over Mary Baldwin University tonight at Swartz Gym.

The win was especially impressive for the Panthers, as Mary Baldwin was the USA South Tournament champion a year ago and competed in the NCAA Division III Tournament.

RECORDS
Ferrum (4-0)
Mary Baldwin (3-2)

THE BASICS
Abel Rivera had a pair of quick baskets in the first minute of play to spot Ferrum a 4-0 lead, then the Panthers used a 11-6 run over the next four minutes to extend the lead to 15-6 on Marcus Willis Jr.'s pair of free throws at the 14:34 mark.

Ferrum's widest margin in the first half was14 points when Charles Tart III converted a fast break layup with 7:36 left before halftime. Mary Baldwin chipped away at the lead, getting it down to 38-29 on Raymond Benton's layup just before the break.

Benton hit a second-chance layup for the Fighting Squirrels less than two minutes into the second half and the lead was down to seven points at 40-33. The Panthers slowly pulled away over the next five minutes, claiming a 52-37 lead on Bryant Wall's jumper at 14:03. The Panthers grabbed their biggest lead of the game on Wall's tip-in dunk at the 2:19 mark to make it an 80-54 game.

KEY STATS
Ferrum: Abel-Rivera 27 pts, 6 reb; Wall 16 pts, 9 reb, 2 blocks; Tart 13 pts, 6 reb, 2 blocks; Willis 8 pts, 9 reb
Mary Baldwin: Quentin Hart 20 pts; Benton 14 pts, 12 reb; Zach Sloan 13 pts

UP NEXT
Coach Patrick Corrigan's team will be in action next on Saturday, November 23, at NCAA Div. I George Mason University. The non-conference game is set to tip off at 2:00 p.m. in Fairfax, Virginia.