Posted: Feb 04, 2012
Coming in to this contest, Viriginia Wesleyan ranked #3 in the d3hoops.com poll. The battle also boasted four of the top six shooters in the ODAC: #1 Amponsah and #5 Singleton for Roanoke, #2 Woodmore and #6 Astorga for Virginia Wesleyan.
The Maroons entered the contest hot, going six-for-six from the field in the first five minutes of the game. Adam Kessler started the scoring for Roanoke, allowing the Maroons to jump out to a 4-0 lead. Everyone in the starting five for Roanoke would hit baskets in the opening four minutes taking a 13-5 lead.
The Maroons built their largest lead of 10 on two different occasions off baskets from Kessler and Stefan Vulevic. Vulevic's trey put Roanoke up 24-14 with 11:02 to play in the first half.
The Marlins proceeded to chip away at the Roanoke lead when Donald Vaughn single-handedly went on a 5-0 run cut the lead to 27-22.
The Marlins tied the game for the first time at 34-34 with a three-point basket by D.J. Woodmore at the 4:49 mark. He would go on to take the lead at 3:59 with a pair of free throws to go up 36-34.
The score would be locked up two more times at 36 and 38, until Vaughn made six points in the Marlins 8-0 run to end the half. The teams entered the locker room with Va. Wesleyan ahead 46-38.
Kwasi Amponsah led the Maroons at half with nine points, followed by Kessler with seven. Logan Singleton had a team-high four rebounds at half. For the Marlins, three players were in double-digits at the break: Vaughn and Woodmore with 13, and Chris Teasley with 10.
Both teams traded baskets to open the second half, and the Maroons cut the lead to six with a Kessler layup, 50-44. The #3 Marlins proceeded to rattle off a 18-2 run over the next three minutes, bolstering a 68-46 lead.
With just 7:47 to play, the Marlins held a 22-point 87-65 lead over the Maroons. At this time, Amponsah netted his 20th point of the contest, making this his seventh contest this season to score 20-plus points.
At the 4:00 mark, Kessler dropped in his seventh bucket of the afternoon for his 15th point, both career-high milestones for the senior. His basket cut the deficit to 20, 95-75.
The Maroons were just unable to close the gap over the final four minutes, falling to the Marlins 98-83.
Amponsah led the Maroons in scoring with 27 points, followed by Kessler with his career-high 15 points. Singleton led Roanoke with five rebounds. With Amponsah's 27 points, he stays atop the ODAC leaderboard with 18.4 points per game, extending his lead over Woodmore's 18.1 PPG.
For the Marlins, Vaughn netted a game-high 28 points and eight rebounds, followed by Woodmore with 20.
Both teams shot over 50% from the field, with Wesleyan hitting 60% to Roanoke's 52%. The Marlins narrowly outrebounded the Maroons 33-31, while Roanoke was 68% from the line to Virginia Wesleyan's 61%.
The Maroons will return to action on Wednesday, February 8th as they travel to face Emory & Henry. That contest is scheduled to begin at 7:00 PM.
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