ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. - Former USA South Conference rival N.C. Wesleyan opened up the 2012 South Region Challenge with a 67-59 men's basketball victory over Shenandoah Tuesday evening.

The Bishops (2-0) got 43 points from forward Brandon Givens in the victory over SU (1-2).

Givens, who had 26 points in the first half, finished the game 14 of 22 from the field (2 of 2 from behind the 3-point arc) and 13 of 18 from the charity stripe to help down the Hornets.

Shenandoah, playing its first game against a former USA South opponent, was seeking its second straight win at NCWC. The Hornets had eliminated N.C. Wesleyan from the 2012 USA South Conference Tournament with a 72-68 victory in the quarterfinal round.

Tuesday, the Bishops scored the initial six points of the contest and led by 13 points prior to the first media timeout, but SU had an answer.

A 6-0 Shenandoah run from the 7:17 to 5:22 marks of the first got the visitors back in it, and then the Hornets scored the final four points of the first and 10 of the first 12 points of the second to take a 42-41 lead at the 15:19 mark of the second.

Unfortunately, this would prove to be the highwater mark of the contest for SU.

NCWC answered this run with a 7-0 spurt of its own and the Bishops never trailed again.

Shenandoah continued to battle, and cut the deficit to five points following an Xavier Alston layup with 54 seconds remaining, but could get no closer.

Junior Avery Green paced coach Rob Pryor's club with 22 points while Alston and Daron Bogier added eight each.

Alston had a team-high six boards.

SU completes the challenge with a 1:00 contest against Mary Washington Wednesday afternoon.

###