Guard Jaden Ignacio totaled a team-high 13 points, but it was a balanced team effort on both ends of the court that set up Mary Baldwin's 73-51 men's basketball victory over USA South Conference foe Methodist Saturday.

Luke Ogle and Mekhi Reid also finished in double figures in the scoring column with 11 points each.  Ogle just missed the double-double with nine rebounds and also had five blocked shots, two assists and two steals.  Reid, in 21 minutes off the bench, added four rebounds and two assists.

The list of contributors is long as Zach Sloan, also with 26 minutes off the bench, led the team in rebounding with 12 and just missed the double-double with nine points.  Vernon Fraley contributed nine points and nine boards.  Senior Diego Lemus was the ninth MBU player to reach the scoring column, chipping in three scores and four boards in limited time.

Midway through the first half, Methodists' Zac Sledge converted a shot in the paint to cut MBU's lead to 16-13.  The Fighting Squirrels then scored the next 10 points, including two baskets each from Fraley and Brett Asbury, to extend the lead to 26-13 on the way to a 42-25 halftime advantage.  In the second half, Methodist never got within 13 points as the Fighting Squirrels drove to victory.

MBU, 11-9 overall but 7-2 and in sole possession of first place in the USA South, enters the two-week stretch of five conference games to finish the regular season with a trip down I-81 to Buena Vista Tuesday (2/6) to battle rival Southern Virginia, beginning at 8 p.m.