GREENSBORO, N.C. – Carson Long scored a game-high 26 points in Guilford College's 83-66 Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) men's basketball victory over visiting Virginia Wesleyan College Saturday. The Quakers (16-3, 9-1 ODAC) shot their highest field-goal percentage (.579) since 2014 in their 11th win in 12 games.
Long, who made 11-of-14 field goals, shot four-of-seven from three-point range. He had 15 first-half points, including eight during Guilford's 22-5 burst to start the game. Jaylen Gore and Jarrod Rogers added five points apiece during the run, in which the Quakers shot nine-of-16 from the floor. Zachary Houston's tip-in 6:38 before the half opened a 20-point Guilford cushion. The Quakers made 18-of-35 first-half shots, compared to the Marlins' 9-of-30 field-goal shooting, to take a 44-27 halftime lead.
Virginia Wesleyan (13-6, 6-4 ODAC) increased its defensive intensity in the second half and tried full-court pressure to curb the Quakers' rhythm. A Tim Jones trifecta brought the Marlins to within 53-41 three-and-a-half minutes into the second half, but the visitors drew no closer. Guilford missed just seven second-half shots (15-22, 68.4%) as its lead swelled to as high as 23 points.
Dominique Henderson and Alston Thompson both chipped in 11 points for the Quakers. Rogers finished with 10 points off the bench. Guilford enjoyed a commanding 35-21 rebounding advantage thanks to Houston's game-high eight boards and six by Thompson. Houston matched his season high with a game-best seven assists and also had two steals. Kyler Gregory scored nine points and Gore tallied eight as Guilford matched the program's best overall and league starts since 2009-10.
Virginia Wesleyan senior Khory Moore paced the Marlins with 20 points and four rebounds. He had 13 first-half points and made all eight free throws in the game. Jones added 17 points and four assists. No other Marlins' scorer had more than four points.
Coach Tom Palombo's Quakers host Randolph College Wednesday (2/1) in an ODAC game at 7:30 p.m.