SALEM, VA- The Roanoke College men's basketball team advanced to the championship game of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference with an 87-62 win over Bridgewater College on Saturday in Salem, VA. The Maroons, who have won 16 of their last 19 games, improve to 17-10 on the season. Bridgewater, who lost all three meeting with Roanoke this season, has its season end with a 10-17 record. Roanoke will be playing in its first ODAC title game since 2001.
Roanoke will take on Hampden-Sydney, which has eliminated Roanoke from each of the last three conference postseasons. The ODAC championship game begins at 1:00pm in Salem, VA on Sunday.
Trailing by six points, 20-14, with 12:34 left in the first half following a Matt Drewer jumper from the elbow, the Maroons went on an 11-3 run to take control.
Josh LaPorte hit two baskets,
Ben Lawler had an elbow jumper, and
AJ Dowell scored on an outside shot and the Maroons were within 23-22.
Zach Milton scored in the paint to give the Maroons a 24-23 lead.
The lead went back-and-forth several times before Milton scored again in the paint and
Curtis Peery hit a fade-away jumper. The Maroons went ahead 32-29 on those baskets and never trailed again. By the time the first half was up, the Maroons had extended their lead to eight points.
The Maroon second half defense allowed the team to put some distance on the scoreboard. The Maroons limited the Eagles to just four field goals on their first 16 attempts and in the process extended the lead to 13 with 15:37 to play, 50-37. Slowly, the Maroons put much more distance between themselves and the Eagles, taking as much as a 28-point lead.
Peery had his sixth double-double of the season, scoring 14 points and adding 11 rebounds.
AJ Dowell scored 19 points, 17 before the first half was up. LaPorte added 10 for the Maroons, who outrebounded Bridgewater 44-25 in the game. The Maroons grabbed 17 offensive rebounds.
Roanoke vs. Bridgewater Box Score
