Posted: Feb 22, 2015
With the loss, the Maroons pick up the #10 seed in the ODAC Tournament. After having to reschedule this afternoon's game from Saturday to Sunday, Roanoke will have to turn around and take on #7 seed Washington and Lee on Monday night at 7:00 PM. The Maroons faced off against the Generals twice in the regular season. Washington & Lee won both previous meetings on January 14th (62-60) and February 18th (72-64). Eastern Mennonite secured a first-round bye, earning a #4 seed with the win today.
Daniel Eacho led the Maroons in scoring with 20 points, shooting 8-14 from the field. He tied Cameron Smith to lead the team with five rebounds. With his 20 points, Eacho moves up the all-time scoring list with 1,294 career points. He advances to 17th place all-time, passing Morris Cregger '64 (1,284) and Kwasi Amponsah '13 (1,291). Eacho is tied for the lead in points-per-game on the Maroons squad with Andrew Daniels, putting up 14.6 points per game. He ranks ninth in the ODAC in total points (365) while ranking fifth in defensive rebounds with 129 this season.
Joey Miller was the second highest scorer on the team, putting up 12 points. He also finished with three rebounds and one assist. Carter Wright and Julian Ramirez each finished with 10 points and four assists, while Ramirez had one rebound and one block. Cameron Smith finished with five rebounds, four assists and two steals.
Eastern Mennonite got off to a 9-0 start against the Maroons with a pair of three-pointers, one each by Ryan Yates and James Williams. Marcel Crump followed with an old-fashioned three-point play, completing the 9-0 run. Eacho broke the scoring drought by hitting a layup at 17:03 to put the first points on the board for the Maroons. After another Crump basket, Fitchett dropped in two free throws before knocking down a trey to get the Maroons back within four, 11-7. Starting at 14:07, Eacho dropped in five unanswered points to get within one, 13-12. Then Carter Wright hit both free throws to give the Maroons their first lead of the game, 14-13. However, the Royals answered with an 11-0 run to reclaim the lead and go ahead by 10, 24-14 with 9:48 to play. Roanoke started to chip away at the deficit, but over the next three minutes, EMU knocked down four three pointers to build the lead to 16, 38-22. By the end of the first half, the Royals' lead still held at 15 points, 46-31.
Carter Wright scored the opening points in the second half for the Maroons, while Ramirez knocked down one of two free throws, as the Maroons got back within 12, 46-34 in the first minute of play. As in the first half, the Royals went on a run, this time of 9-2, capped by a David Falk Dunk. Seth Bradley stopped the run with a three pointer, while Miller and Eacho each hit baskets keeping the Maroons within 14. At the 7:10 mark, Ramirez started a 8-5 run, scoring five consecutive points, then capped by a Bryce Woodliff three pointer, as Roanoke now trailed by 17, 78-61. Ramirez and Eacho continued to make baskets over the next two minutes, with Ramirez hitting four more points. Miller scored the final four points of the game, which spanned the last 2:23, including a layup in the final second of the contest. However, Roanoke fell to Eastern Mennonite, 88-71.
Five Eastern Mennonite players finished the game scoring in double figures. Marcel Crump led the team with 18 points on 6-10 shooting. Rashawn Latimer tallied 15 points on 6-7 shooting, hitting 3-3 from behind the arc. James Williams and Ryan Yates each put up 14 points and four rebounds. Yates tallied five assists and one steal, while Williams had three assists and three steals. David Falk put together a double-double of 10 points and 15 rebounds, with one assist, two steals and two blocks.
Eastern Mennonite outshot the Maroons 53.2 to 40.6 percent from the field, while Roanoke held the advantage 80 to 65 percent from the free throw line. The Royals also outrebounded the Maroons 43-31, as well leading in assists 17-16.
The Maroons return to action on Monday, February 23rd as they travel to Lexington to play in the first round of the ODAC Tournament. Roanoke will face off against #7 seed Washington and Lee at 7:00 PM, with the winner advancing to the ODAC Tournament Quarterfinals at the Salem Civic Center.
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