Box Score SALEM - The Roanoke college men's basketball team starts the season 3-0 after a 99-86 victory over Johnson & Wales in the second game of the 2012 Dick Leftwich V-Foundation Classic on Friday.

Five Roanoke players finished in double-digits, led by Kwasi Amponsah with 20 points. Amponsah was also 3-5 from behind the arc. Sophomore Julian Ramirez broke out in the contest, scoring career-highs in points (19) and assists (9), just missing a double-double. Alexander Weant also scored a career high in points with 13 on the evening. Also in double-digits were Daniel Eacho (11) and Andrew Daniels (10).

Roanoke outshot Johnson and Wales from the field 55.2 to 45.1 percent. The Maroons led in the assist 20-12, while the Wildcats led in steals (10-8), blocks (4-2) and rebounds (45-43).

Roanoke (3-0) jumped out to an early lead, going up 18-7 in the first six minutes of the contest. The opening run saw seven different Maroons find the basket to put the maroons ahead by 11. Johnson and Wales (1-2) proceeded to go on a 13-3 run of their own to cut the deficit to one, 21-20 with 10:00 to play in the half. Up through the 2:00 mark, Roanoke outscored the Wildcats 19-8 to go ahead 40-28. A Julian Ramirez layup with 1:14 to play in the game gave Roanoke its largest lead of the half, 46-31. The Wildcats' Jordan Jones scored a layup in the final seconds of the period to end the period down 12 to the Maroons, 48-36.

Ramirez led the Maroons after the first half, scoring 11 points, while also leading the team with three assists. Andrew Daniels was also in double-digits for Roanoke scoring 10. Clay Lacy pulled down four rebounds in the first period, leading all players in the contest. The Maroons, as a team, shot 60 percent from the field in the first 20 minutes, hitting 18-30.

Amponsah started off the second half with five consecutive points, with both baskets being assisted by Ramirez. Roanoke hit its largest lead of the game of 20 points, 58-38, as Ramirez hit a three pointer with 17:35 to play. The Wildcats chipped away at the Roanoke lead throughout the first 10 minutes. Johnson and Wales' Dan Barbour hit a three-pointer to cut the Roanoke lead down to six, 74-68 with 9:30 to play in the contest.

The Maroons had built the lead back up to eight points with 5:30 to play, but the Wildcats took advantage of Roanoke misses and hit two consecutive baskets to cut the deficit to four 87-83 with 4:22 to play.

In the final two minutes, Alexander Weant scored six points and Ramirez scored four points to build Roanoke's lead back to 13 to end the contest ahead 99-86.

The Wildcats' Quarry Greenway led all players with 23 points, going 8-11 from the field and 7-10 from the free throw line. Johnson and Wales had five other players in double digits: Curtis Lucas (15), Frank Robinson (12), Jordan Jones (11), Dan Barbour (10), and Tom Garrick, Jr. (10)

The Maroons will play again Saturday, November 24^th as they face off against Goucher College in the final game of the 2012 Dick Leftwich V-Foundation Classic. Roanoke defeated Goucher 90-86 last season on November 27^th. Tip-off for the game is scheduled for 3:00 PM.


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