THE GAME FACTS
Score: Virginia Wesleyan 70, Roanoke 59
Location: Virginia Beach, Va.

The Short Story:  The Roanoke men's basketball team dropped its final ODAC contest of 2023 (calendar year) to the VA Wesleyan Marlins on Sunday afternoon in Virginia Beach.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Scoring was at a premium early in the first half as the score was tied 2-2 with 15:08 on the game clock. The team would trade baskets over the next five minutes with the home team having a slim 10-8 lead over Roanoke at 10:08.
• The scoreboard lit up the final 10 minutes of the first half. VWU would build up to a 15 point lead with 1:34 remaining, 36-21. The Maroons responded with a quick 4-0 run, capped by a Justin Kuthan layup at :20 to bring the half time score down to 36-25, in favor of the Marlins.
• The second half started off in favor of the Maroons as Roanoke chipped away at the lead, bringing it down to just one on a Joshua Morse layup, 45-44, with 11:13 remaining in the game. With the Marlins leading 53-50, VWU went on a 7-0 run to push their lead back up to 10. They would extended slightly more, up to 14 before a pair of free throws from Marcus Morgan brought the lead down to 70-58 at the final buzzer.

BY THE NUMBERS

• Morgan led the Maroons with a team-high 20 points. He was one of three in double figures; Kuthan (12) and Joshua McClary (10).

UP NEXT

• The Maroons are off this week for final exams before hitting the road for the Catholic Classic on Dec. 19 and 20 in Washington, D.C.
• Roanoke takes on Eastern on Tuesday, Dec. 19 at 7 p.m. before facing host Catholic on Wed., Dec. 20 at 4 p.m.