SALEM, VA--The Roanoke College men's basketball team brought to an end a three-game losing streak with a 96-90 win over visiting Guilford College and in the process moved into seventh place in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. The Maroons, who are now 12-12 overall and 6-11 in the ODAC, got help from Emory & Henry College which defeated Lynchburg College to move the Hornets into eighth place. With their loss, the Quakers fall to 15-9 overall and 11-6 in the ODAC and have a three-game winning streak snapped.
Roanoke had its best offense night of the season, scoring the 96 points while shooting 50.8 percent from the field. Roanoke's previous point-high was a 90-point effort in a win over St. Joseph's (ME) in early January. The key to Roanoke's offensive effort came from the starting trio of
Jason Graffam (Vienna, VA/Marshall),
Kevinn Hunter (Dale City, VA/Gar-Field), and
Jared Butler (Springfield, VA/West Springfield) who combined to score 64 of the team's 96 points. Graffam set a new career-high with a 26-point night. His previous high was 21 two seasons ago against Goucher College. Hunter, who was plagued by foul trouble on Saturday scored 16, while Butler tallied 22 points. The three went 21-for-33 (.636) from the field.
The Maroons made things interesting in the second half of play. After building as much as an 18-point second half advantage, the Maroons allowed the Quakers to get within five points with just over four minutes to play and four points with 39 seconds left. After Hunter had to take a seat on the bench with four fouls early in the second half, the Quakers used a 10-2 run to close to within five points, 78-73. Guilford's Genaro Lawhorn was the key to the Guilford run, scoring six of his 15 points over the course of the three minute streak. The lead stayed under 10 points the rest of the way, with the exception of a quick 10-point Roanoke lead with 3:34 to go. Late in regulation, the Maroons were able to get two fast break layups and make two free throws to keep their lead.
In the first 11 minutes of the contest, the lead would change hands several times and the game would be tied six times, but a
Tee Jackson (Galax, VA/Carroll County) three-point field goal with 8:21 left in the first half gave the Maroons a lead they would not relinquish.
Jamiel Allen (Richmond, VA/The Steward School) built on RC's lead with two free throws, those part of a 13-4 Maroon run that opened up a nine-point edge. A layup from Graffam and a three-pointer from
Drew Crowder (Radford, VA/Radford) late in the half pushed the Maroon lead into double-figures, where it would be at the break, 52-40. The 52 points were the most the Maroons had scored in the first half of any game this season.
Junior points guard Clarence Martin led the Quakers with 23 points and also added four assists. Martin made four of the team's seven three-pointers. Lawhorn and Jevon Clarke each added 15 points, while Thomas Swindell chipped in 14 and Eric Williams 12.
Roanoke is back in action this coming Tuesday in a home game against the Royals of Eastern Mennonite. The game in Salem, VA begins at 7:00pm.
Roanoke vs. Guilford Box Score
