SALEM, VA-The Roanoke College men's basketball team ended its five-game losing streak with a 61-58 upset of 24th-ranked Virginia Wesleyan College on a snowy Sunday afternoon in Salem, VA. The Maroons, who had last won January 10th, move back above .500 for the season at 9-8 and also now stand at 3-7 in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. Virginia Wesleyan, which had won two of the last three meetings between the two programs in Salem and also earned an 83-61 win over RC earlier this season, falls to 13-4 overall and 7-4 in the ODAC. The Marlins were the 24th ranked team in the latest D3Hoops.com national poll.
The Maroons held as much as an 11-point lead in the first half and a 13-point lead in the second half, but the ultimate deciding plays came in the final two minutes of regulation. Trailing 59-53, Virginia Wesleyan's Peter Warren, who got off to an 0-for-5 start from behind the three-point line, hit a three from the top of the key to make the score 59-56 in RC's favor with 1:55 left. Following a Roanoke miss, the Marlins pulled to within one point, on a David Doino layup off of an offensive rebound of his own miss. That basket came with 16 seconds remaining. With just five team fouls, the Marlins had to commit two quick fouls, the second against RC's
Kevinn Hunter (Dale City, VA/Gar-Field). That sent Hunter, who entered the game shooting 50 percent (29-of-58) from the line, to the charity stripe for a one-and-one. Hunter made the first and the Marlins called timeout. Out of the timeout, Hunter hit the second to give RC the 61-58 lead.
The Marlins, who had no timeouts left, took the ball the length of the floor. With the Maroons protecting against the three, Doino, who was triple-teamed at the top of the key, found Marques Fitch in the corner. With a Maroon flying at him, Fitch took the three only to see it rim out as the buzzer went off.
Cold Marlin shooting in the first half allowed the Maroons to jump out to an early lead. Going inside to Hunter early and often, the Maroons built an early 8-2 lead. Hunter scored four of those points, while
Jason Graffam (Vienna, VA/Marshall) also got a bucket in the paint. Virginia Wesleyan was able to get to within one, 11-10, later in the half, but Roanoke responded with seven consecutive points, four coming on
Jamiel Allen (Richmond, VA/The Steward School) free throws. Another 7-0 Maroon run late in the period pushed the lead out to 11, 27-16. The Marlins did not help themselves from the field in the first half, going 0-for-12 from three-point range. Roanoke was able to limit its mistakes in the half, turning the ball over just twice.
Leading 34-24 early in the second, the Maroons built their largest lead of the game, 13 points, on a Graffam uncontested three-pointer from the left wing. With the Maroons slowing the pace and VWC switching to a zone defense, the Marlins were able to claw back into the game, most notably with less than three minutes to play, when they outscored the Maroons 10-0 during a stretch that brought them to within 59-58.
Hunter finished the game with 20 points, 11 of those coming in the second half. He went 4-for-5 from the free throw line, where as a team the Maroons made all but two of their 15 attempts.
Jared Butler (Springfield, VA/West Springfield) and Graffam each scored 13 for the Maroons, with Butler adding four assists and Graffam six boards.
The Marlins were led by Doino's 19 points and 14 rebounds. Coming into the game the Marlins had five players averaging in double-figures in the scoring column, but thanks to tough RC defense and an off-night, Doino was the lone visitor able to score more than nine points. Fitch finished with nine points, five rebounds, three assists, and two steals.
The Maroons travel to Eastern Mennonite on Wednesday for a 7:00pm contest against the Royals.
Roanoke vs. Virginia Wesleyan Box Score
