Box Score TOWSON, MD – After a strong showing against DI opponent, Winthrop University, the Roanoke College men's basketball team opens the season with a 74-71 victory over Gordon College on Saturday.  Since 2000-01, Roanoke has started all but one season with a 1-0 opening record.
 
The contest saw the Maroons start out the 2013-14 season breaking some career highs.  Daniel Eacho scored a career high 24 points in the Maroons effort, besting his previous high (23) which he scored in the opening round of the ODAC Tournament in the 2012-13 season.  Cameron Smith went six-for-eight on the afternoon scoring a career best 13 points.
 
The Fighting Scots jumped out to a 10-4 lead on the Maroons in the first five minutes of the contest.  Over the next two minutes, Seth Bradley, Julian Ramirez and Alexander Weant all hit baskets to pull the Maroons within three, 13-10.  At the 10:37 mark, Stefan Vulevic hit a free throw to tie the game at 14-14.  The Maroons took their first lead of the game at 7:06 when Andrew Daniels hit a jump shot.  Gordon started to break away by the end of the period, extending its lead to eight, which would be its largest advantage of the game.  Daniels made an old-fashioned three point play in the final seconds to bring Roanoke back within five, 35-30 entering halftime.
 
Cameron Smith opened the second half with a layup to cut the lead to three 35-32.  After Gordon went back up by seven, Roanoke started to chip away at the defecit.  Daniel Eacho made two baskets, followed by a Vulevic trey to pull within two, 41-39.  The two teams traded a pair of baskets each over the next minute, and then Daniels hit a layup to tie the game at 45-45.  Gordon's Alex Carnes hit a basket and a free throw to lead by three, until Eacho and Smith hit back-to-back baskets to take a 49-48 lead.  The next three minutes saw three ties and three lead changes until Cameron Smith knocked down a three-pointer with 9:53 to play, giving Roanoke a 57-54 advantage.
 
The Maroons took their largest lead of the game at the 6:12 mark as Eacho hit a jump shot to lead by four, 61-57.  Gordon hit consecutive baskets to tie the game at 61, but would never regain the lead.  Over the final four minutes, the game saw two more ties, and Gordon pulling close with the Maroons.  With eight seconds left, Jason Dempsey hit a jump shot to bring the Fighting Scots within one, 72-71.  Ramirez hit a pair of free throws with just five seconds left, to go up by three, 74-71.  The Fighting Scots made one more three-point attempt at the buzzer, but missed, giving Roanoke the 74-71 season opening win.
 
Eacho led the Maroons in scoring with his 24 points.  He was followed in scoring by Andrew Daniels, who finished six-for-eight and 16 points.  Cameron Smith was the third Maroon in double-digits with 13 points and a team high seven rebounds.  Eacho pitched in six rebounds of his own.  Ethan Humphries led all players in the game in assists, dishing out six over the course of the contest.  Stefan Vulevic and Julian Ramriez added five more assists apiece.
 
The Maroons outshot the Fighting Scots 45.6 percent to 41.0 percent.  Gordon held the edge from the free throw line 59.4 to 50.0 percent.  The Fighting Scots outrebounded the Maroons 46-42, but Roanoke bested Gordon in assists 23-14.  The contest saw 10 ties and 16 lead changes.
 
The Maroons return to action on Sunday, November 17^th as they take on host school, Goucher College.  That contest is scheduled for a 2:00 PM start time.
 
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