VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Averett University men's basketball rallied from a halftime deficit to knock off previously unbeaten Virginia Wesleyan University 61-54 in non-conference action on Saturday afternoon.

Down four at the break, Averett (3-2) used a 13-3 run midway through the second half to swing the momentum at take a 50-43 lead with 7:42 to play. Although Virginia Wesleyan (3-1) got back within four several times, junior Montre' Cash scored six of his team-high 23 points over the final four-plus minutes and the Cougars got several big stops defensively to fend off any chance of a Marlins comeback. Tim Fisher drilled a 3-pointer to close Virginia Wesleyan's deficit to 57-52 with just over a minute to play. Yet, Averett got clutch free throws from Cash and sophomore Isaiah Jones in the final minute to seal the win and give head coach David Doino a victory over his alma mater.

Averett shot 45.1 percent from the floor and outrebounded Virginia Wesleyan 47-32 on the glass. The Cougars' comeback in the second half was aided by the Marlins going cold from beyond the arc. Virginia Wesleyan, which was averaging 96.3 points a game entering Saturday, shot just 6-for-28 from 3-point range.

Virginia Wesleyan led 8-3 early after making a few 3-pointers. However, Averett answered with a run of its own, keyed by several key shots by senior Vince Contreras, who got a layup and one in traffic and later put in a backdoor layup to give the Cougars a 12-10 advantage. Averett lead 15-14 following freshman Corey Baldwin's 3-pointer with 11:02 in the first period before Virginia Wesleyan rattled off a 10-0 run over the next two-and-a-half minutes to reclaim a 24-15 lead.

Sparked a strong first half by Contreras, Averett battled back to get within one several times before a late 3-pointer gave the Marlins a 31-27 lead entering halftime. All 12 of Contreras' points came in the first half while playing in his hometown.

Baldwin added seven points and eight rebounds, while Jones finished with eight rebounds and five points.

Averett opens USA South Conference play on the road Tuesday against N.C. Wesleyan College at 7 p.m.