VIRGINIA BEACH -- Anyone who might have just wandered into a rocking Virginia Wesleyan College's Jane P. Batten Student Center in the final two minutes of Wednesday's men's basketball game was there in time to see a thrilling finish to another classic showdown between two long-time rivals.
It was Randolph-Macon College's Yellow Jackets who could not get the ball to drop in the final two minutes though, as Virginia Wesleyan College's No. 5 ranked Marlins posted a 63-60 Old Dominion Athletic Conference in front of a packed house.
But, the Marlins (3-1, 1-0) definitely helped make it difficult for the Jackets (4-2, 0-1) down the stretch, highlighted by big blocks by senior Donald Vaughn (Woodbridge, Va./Dumfries Potomac) and junior Chris Teasley (Newport News, Va./Menchville). R-MC managed to get the rebounds after each block and took eight shots in the final two minutes, but most were hurried as Virginia Wesleyan's defense stepped it up a notch.
A Lamar Giggetts (Fredericksburg, Va./Courtland) free throw gave the Jackets a 60-58 lead with 2:14 remaining in the game, but R-MC never scored again. Instead, Virginia Wesleyan came back to tie the score on jumper byChris Astorga (Suffolk, Va./Virginia Beach Cape Henry). Seconds later the Marlins took the lead at 61-60 when Vaughn hit the second of two free throws. with 1:33 on the clock.
After a Jacket timeout, R-MC tried to get the ball inside for the go-ahead score, but the attempt was met by Vaughn with a slamming block from the top. After another R-MC shot, Vaughn ripped down the rebound. VWC head coach David Macedo called a timeout with 1:01 remaining and when action resumed, Vaughn found Astorga open for another shot that gave VWC a 63-60 lead.
R-MC's first shot after that score was belted away by Teasley, but the Jackets were not finished. VWC kept up defensive pressure that hampered R-MC's shots, but the ball bounced in favor of the Jackets. R-MC had four offensive team rebounds in the final 27 seconds, but could not find a basket against the Marlins' pressure.
It was a thrilling finish to a game that favored Virginia Wesleyan in the early going. Balanced scoring helped the Marlins open up 21-13 and 32-20 leads in the first half, before the Jackets started to settle. Calvin Croskey (Manassas, Va./Osbourn Park) and Giggetts keyed the comeback for the Jackets, who trailed 36-30 at halftime.
Randolph-Macon kept things going its way in the second half and eventually took the lead at 41-40 on a free throw by Andre Simon (Newport News, Va./Menchville). It set up an electrying finish that included nine lead changes and three ties. R-MC's last lead was at 60-58, and the final tie was at 60-60 on Astorga's jumper. Vaughn's free throw gave VWC the lead to the end.
Vaughn led Virginia Wesleyan with 16 points, nine rebounds two blocks, and two steals. Astorga came on to score 13 points, hitting 5-of-11 field goal attempts. The Marlins also got a major contribution inside from 6-foot-7 senior Ali Brown (Hampton, Va./Kecoughtan) who led all rebounding with 11.
Croskey finished with 19 points for R-MC, hitting 7-of-17 field goal attempts. Giggetts added 15 points and Adam Desgain (Richmond, Va./J.R. Tucker) tallied 10 points. Giggetts and Simon led the Jackets with eight rebounds each.
Virginia Wesleyan competes again on Saturday, Dec. 3, playing in an ODAC game at 3 p.m. at Emory & Henry College.
--AMDG-