GREENSBORO, N.C. – Tobi Akinsola (Cary, N.C./Word of God Christian (Bethany)) scored 18 of his game- and career-high 26 points in the second half of Guilford College's 64-61 men's basketball upset of previously unbeaten Virginia Wesleyan College Saturday. His free throw with 26 seconds left broke the game's sixth and final tie and sent the Quakers (12-6, 6-3 Old Dominion Athletic Conference) to their seventh win in eight outings.
The Marlins (16-1, 7-1 ODAC) entered the game ranked second in this week's D3hoops.com Top 25 Poll, but trailed 33-30 at halftime. Donald Vaughn's five points sparked a 13-6 Virginia Wesleyan run to start the second half, which gave the guests a 43-39 lead. Chris Teasley's (Newport News, Va./Menchville) layup at the 9:46 mark opened a 48-43 advantage before Akinsola took over for Guilford.
With leading scorer Josh Pittman (Archdale, N.C./Trinity) held to a single three-pointer, Guilford got the ball inside to its 6-2 junior center. Akinsola used superior quickness to maneuver among Virginia Wesleyan's taller frontcourt and made eight-of-11 field goals. With all of his shots close to the basket, he gave the Quakers a 34-14 edge in interior scoring.
After Teasley's basket, Akinsola singlehandedly outscored the Marlins, 9-4, over a three-minute span and tied the score at 52-52 with 6:54 to go. His layup off a Pittman assist gave Guilford a 59-58 lead with 2:34 to play.
Two T.C. Anderson (Cary, N.C./Green Hope) free throws with 2:09 remaining opened a 61-58 Guilford lead, but Virginia Wesleyan tied the game at 61 with 66 seconds left on D.J. Woodmore's (Virginia Beach, Va./Landstown) fast-break layup. With the shot-clock winding down on the ensuing possession, Akinsola drew a foul and gave Guilford the lead for good by making the second of two free throws.
The Marlins missed two three-pointers at the other end before Guilford's Brad Monroe (Asheboro, N.C./Eastern Randolph) secured a defense rebound with 6.7 seconds left. The Quakers preserved their second win over a ranked team this month with two Monroe free throws. Anderson got a piece of Ed Roberts' (Chesapeake, Va./Deep Creek) three-point attempt as time expired.
Monroe finished with seven points, a team-high seven rebounds and three assists. Gabriel Lowder (Yadkinville, N.C./North Forsyth) contributed nine points and four rebounds.
Woodmore led the Marlins with 15 points and eight rebounds. Roberts scored 11 points off the bench, all in the first half. Tre' Ford (Falls Church, Va./J.E.B. Stuart) also netted 11 for Virginia Wesleyan.
The Quakers visit league-rival Randolph College Wednesday night (1/26) at 7:00 p.m. before returning home to host 10th-ranked Randolph-Macon College next Saturday (1/29) at 3:00 p.m.
NOTES: It was Stache Day at Guilford, honoring Quakers' coach Tom Palombo's distinctive mouth sweater... Palombo, a 1989 Virginia Wesleyan graduate, has won eight of his last nine games against his alma mater and is 11-12 alltime against the Marlins... the game marked the only regular-season meeting between the teams.-30-