Sophomore DJ Via and senior Raymond Benton combined for 45 points as Mary Baldwin men's basketball earned an 89-84 road victory over Brevard.

Via came out firing from 3-point range, scoring the game's first nine points on three consecutive 3-pointers. Benton did his work inside, battling on the offensive glass, getting to the free-throw line and finishing around the basket.

Sophomore point guard Marquis Dunklin kept the offense moving, dishing out six assists. Dunklin flirted with a triple-double, finishing with 10 points, nine rebounds and eight assists.

Via and Benton each scored 13 points in the first half, but Brevard kept it close, trailing 47-40 at the break. Twain Wilson and Jadon Carnes scored 16 and 13 points, respectively, for the Tornadoes in the first half.

Mary Baldwin's efficiency from beyond the arc proved to be the difference, as the Fighting Squirrels shot 70% from 3-point range compared to Brevard's 31%.

The Fighting Squirrels carried that momentum into the second half, pushing the lead to 14 with 17 minutes remaining. Junior Malachi Washington added eight points in the second half and was one of three Mary Baldwin players to set season highs, finishing with 13 points.

Brevard responded with a 12-0 run, cutting the deficit and taking the lead with five minutes remaining. Carnes added 10 more points in the second half to lead the comeback attempt.
Mary Baldwin regained the lead late, and Brevard missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer with 10 seconds remaining that would have sent the game to overtime.

Via finished with a career-high 24 points, while Benton added 21 points and 10 rebounds for a double-double.

The Fighting Squirrels opened conference play 1-0 and return home to face N.C. Wesleyan on Tuesday, Jan. 6, at 4:30 p.m.
 
Scoring Leaders:
Dj Via- 24
Raymond Benton- 21
Malachi Washington-13
Rony Hogarth- 12
 
Rebounding Leaders:
Raymond Benton-10
Marquis Dunklin-9
 
Assist Leaders:
Marquis Dunklin-8