The Maroons gave the seniors an early Christmas present, defeating #5 Virginia Wesleyan, 68-67 at Bast Gym on Saturday afternoon. It was the first victory over the defending national runner-ups since the 1999-00 season and the first for the senior class. The Maroons are 4-0 overall, 1-0 in the ODAC while the Marlins fall to 3-1, 0-1 in ODAC play.

It was a physical game as there were 50 fouls called. Roanoke dominated in points in the paint, 32-18, led by both Josh LaPorte and Curtis Peery, who combined for 28 points and 23 rebounds in the win. The Maroons also won the rebounding margin, 40-30.

Roanoke went on a scoring barrage to open the first half. After trailing, 3-2, the Maroons went on a 26-6 run over the next 13 minutes to take a commanding, 28-9 lead with 5:03 left in the half. AJ Dowell led the surge, scoring 10 points, including three baskets in a row during the run.

LaPorte, a senior forward had eight points and seven rebounds in the first half as the Maroons took a 34-19 lead into the locker room. It was the first time that Roanoke held a first half lead against the Marlins in nine years and the largest halftime lead in 10 years.

Roanoke held VWC to just 21-percent shooting from the field, including 1-for-8 from beyond the arc. The Maroons shot nearly 50-percent from the field and connected on 11-of-12 from the line.

The Maroons pushed the lead to as high as 17 points in the second half after a Ben Shrader three-pointer to push the lead to 49-32 with 12:20 remaining.

The Marlins mounted a comeback run of 19-4 over the next 14 minutes to cut the lead to within two, 53-51, with 7:50 remaining. The defending national runner-ups would take the lead off a Tyler Fantin jumper in the paint to give them a 62-61 lead with just under three minutes remaining. It was their first lead since 3-2 just two minutes in the game.

The Marlins get their largest lead of the game after a three-pointer by Stephen Fields to make the score, 65-62, with 1:15 left. A layup by Peery would cut Virginia Wesleyan's lead to one, 65-64. LaPorte would get his biggest steal of his career on the following Marlins possession and would then find Peery wide open for a bucket to regain the lead, 66-65.

Fields would come up big again with a jumper to grab the lead back, 67-66, with 0:12 remaining. The Maroons would have a chance to take the lead as the Marlins were called for a technical foul on the inbound, but couldn't convert on the free throws.

The Maroons had the last bucket of the game starting with a Keith Carter missed layup. LaPorte would grab the rebound and missed, then Peery missed on a tip-in. Junior Zach Milton wrestled for the loose ball and would score off a layup with one second on the clock to win the game.

The Maroons had five players in double-figures, led by Peery with 18 points and 11 rebounds. He finished 10-of-13 from the free throw line, which was a career-high. LaPorte finished with a double-double, scoring 10 points, four assists and a team-high 12 rebounds. He is now 10th all-time in rebounding at Roanoke (649).

Fantin led all scorers with 22 points and six rebounds. He shot 7-of-9 from the free throw line. Norman Hassell chipped in 17 points for the Marlins.

The Maroons return to action tomorrow as they host Randolph-Macon at 2 p.m. The Maroons lead the all-time series, 71-65 and won the last meeting, 79-58 in the ODAC Tournament.