(ROCKY MOUNT, NC) - In the championship game of the 2023 USA South Men's Basketball Tournament, held on the campus of N.C. Wesleyan University, the host top-seeded Battling Bishops defeated second-seeded William Peace, 80-61, to claim the program's fifth title.

William Peace opened with a five-point lead in the first three minutes of the game only to see N.C. Wesleyan respond by scoring 15 of the next 19 points to grab a six-point lead halfway through the first stanza. The Battling Bishop lead grew to nine points with just over six minutes remaining but the Pacers cut it to six at the end of the first half. 

After allowing the first two points of the second half, N.C. Wesleyan went on a 12-0 run to take a 16-point advantage with 14 minutes remaining in the contest. After a quick five-point response by William Peace, the Battling Bishops pushed their lead its highest of the game, 22 points, with less than nine minutes remaining. The Pacers fought to trim the lead to 17 points but it was N.C. Wesleyan who prevailed. 

The Battling Bishops were led by Tournament Most Valuable Player, Khalid Chavis-Hinds who scored ten points, grabbed six rebounds, dished out a game-high six assists, had two steals, and blocked one shot. For the tournament, Chavis-Hinds averaged 11.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. Leading the championship game in scoring was the N.C. Wesleyan duo of Brayden Dixon and Marquis Eskew who poured in 18 points each. For William Peace, Timothy Pettiford scored a team-high 15 points while Beau Bryant added 12 points and a team-high seven rebounds. 

2023 All-Tournament Team
Beau Bryant, William Peace
Khalid Chavis-Hinds, N.C. Wesleyan (MVP)
Brayden Dixon, N.C. Wesleyan
Marquis Eskew, N.C. Wesleyan
Malakai Olson, Southern Virginia
Timothy Pettiford, William Peace

Visit the Tournament Website for further information, including the Tournament Bracket.