The Basics
Score:  #15 Roanoke 53 | Guilford 58   
Records: Maroons 9-3 / 1-2 ODAC | Quakers 7-3 / 3-0 ODAC
Location: Greensboro, N.C.

The Lead: After having their first two games of the new year postponed, the Roanoke men's basketball team was back on the court when they traveled to North Carolina to face Guilford on Wednesday night. Both teams would struggle to score but when the home team closed the final five-minutes with a 16-8 run, Roanoke would find themselves down, 34-22, at the break. A 9-0 run to start the second frame would get Roanoke back into the game. After a scoring drought allowed the Quakers to rebuild their advantage, a late push would make it a two-possession game However, Guilford sealed it at the free throw line to picked up the 58-53 win.

How it Happened:

• The Quakers would hold Roanoke scoreless for the first six and a half minutes of play as Guilford took an early, 7-0, advantage. Justin Kuthan hit one of two from the line to get the Maroons on the board.
• A Kuthan 3-pointer and another free throw coupled with a pair of Nick Price free throws would make it an 11-7 game at the mid-way point of the first half.
• Kasey Draper scored from the stripe and Tripp Greene scored in the paint to keep the Quaker lead at four, 18-14, with five-minutes to go before the break. Guilford built their lead to double digits and when they converted a layup in the closing seconds, the Quakers took a 34-22 edge into the locker room.
• Back-to-back 3-pointers by Price followed by an Efosa U-Edosomwan transition hoop would force the Quakers to take a timeout less than two-minutes into the second half.
• Over the next seven-minutes, Guilford would regain control and after a three-point play, the lead had grown back to double-digits, 44-33.
• A five-minute Roanoke drought would put the Maroons in a 14-point hole with just 7:32 left to play. A Draper jump shot followed by Price's, third, three-pointer of the night would see the Maroons back to within single digits.
• With three-minutes to play, a Draper jumper from long range made it 52-45 going into the final media timeout. After a pair of Draper free throws cut it to five with 2:00 to play, Guilford had an extended possession that included three offensive rebounds. On the next RC trip down the floor, a jump ball went in favor of the home team and Roanoke was forced the foul. Guilford would hit their free throws in the final minute to stop any sort of Roanoke rally.
• Price finished with 15 points and Draper added 15 with each player grabbing five rebounds. Kuthan made it a trio of Maroons in double-figures with 10 while U-Edosomwan had team highs in rebounds (7) and assists (4).

Up next: The Maroons will return home to face Washington and Lee on Saturday afternoon. The game with the Generals is scheduled to tip at 2:00pm in the Cregger Center.