SALEM, VA-The Hampden-Sydney College Tigers, the nation's number-one ranked Division III men's basketball team, improved to 12-1 on the season with a 79-69 road victory over Roanoke College on Saturday afternoon in Salem, VA. The Tigers, who have won three straight at Roanoke, now own a six-game winning streak over the Maroons, their longest since a stretch between 1963 and 1967. The Maroons lose for the second consecutive outing and now sport an 8-5 overall mark and a 2-4 record in Old Dominion Athletic Conference play. Hampden-Sydney is 5-1 against ODAC opponents.
On the perimeter play of senior
Drew Crowder (Radford, VA/Radford), the Maroons jumped out to a quick 8-2 lead. Crowder drained two threes in the first 1:22 of the contest, the second giving RC the 8-2 advantage. The Maroons scored just two points over the next four minutes, allowing the Tigers to eventually take an 11-10 lead on a three from All-American candidate Jeff Monroe. That 11-10 lead came with 14:26 and was followed by six tie scores over the next 10 minutes. Out of an RC 30-second time out, senior
Brett Wermuth (Glouchester, MA/Manchester) scored two of his career-high eight points to even the score at 31 with 4:20 left. Monroe answered with a layup and Hampden-Sydney had the lead for good. A Mike Edwards baseline jumper with 34 seconds gave the Tigers a seven-point, 40-33, but Wermuth responded with a second-chance layup as time expired to make the score 40-35 at the break.
The teams traded baskets in the first three minutes of the second half, but a small 4-0 Roanoke run trimmed to lead to 44-43 with 16:20 to play in regulation. Roanoke sophomore
NyJuan Hall (Alexandria, VA/Edison) hit an end-to-end driving layup to bring the Maroons to within one. It was Hampden-Sydney's All-American Monroe that brought that run to an end, hitting back-to-back three-pointers to push the lead back out to seven points. The Maroons would get no closer the rest of the way, with the Tigers taking as much as a 12-point lead.
Neither team did itself any justice at the free throw line. The Tigers went 16-for-34 from the line, including 9-for-22 in the second half, while the Maroons made just 4-of-11 free throws in the second half and 8-of-16 in the entire 40-minute ball game.
For Tigers starters scored in double-figures, Monroe pacing the way with 19. Brian Gunn and Brandon Randall each added 13 points, while David Willson recorded the double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Hampden-Sydney held the rebounding edge 44-34.
Crowder finished the game with a career-high 22 points, hitting a personal-best six three-pointers in the loss. Crowder also added two steals and four boards.
Jason Graffam (Vienna, VA/Marshall) and
Jared Butler (Springfield, VA/West Springfield) each tallied 10. Wermuth finished with nine points and a career-high seven rebounds, six offensive.
Roanoke is back in action on Monday in a home game against the Hornets of Lynchburg College, while the Tigers will head to Washington & Lee on Sunday.
Roanoke vs. Hampden-Sydney Box Score
