ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. — Averett University men's basketball senior James Contreras Jr. continued to ascend up the program's all-time scoring list, but his 30 points on Wednesday night weren't enough as the Cougars fell 101-88 at N.C. Wesleyan College in a conference showdown.

Contreras jumped past Chad Ford and former teammate Bradley Robinson with his effort on Wednesday, giving him 1,350 career points. He entered the game in fifth, having moved up from sixth in Averett's previous contest.

Averett (8-10, 3-7 USA South) led for a good chunk of the first period, taking a 44-42 lead into halftime. Up 52-50 five minutes into the second half, Averett's lead slipped away when N.C. Wesleyan (11-9, 9-3 USA South) went on a 14-0 run in less than four minutes. The Cougars didn't overcome that gap the rest of the game as the Bishops kept their lead at double-digits.

The Cougars led by as many as six points midway through the first half. After N.C. Wesleyan briefly grabbed the lead, Averett fought off the Bishops the rest of the half to go into the locker rooms up by two.

N.C. Wesleyan shot nearly 59 percent in the second half and 51.5 percent for the game

Aside from Contreras' 30-point game — his fifth game with 30 or more points this season — Averett got 12 points from sophomore Jamal Forde and 11 points from freshman Montre' Cash in reserve. Senior Darin Ketner snagged a team-high nine rebounds.

Averett returns home for a two-game homestand, beginning Saturday with a 4 p.m. matchup with Huntingdon College.