For Immediate Release – 12/30/12 - #168

WildCat Men's Hoops Post Thrilling Comeback in 75-73 Overtime Victory Over Huntingdon

                HAMPDEN-SYDNEY, VA – Senior guard Colton Hunt (Whittier,NC/Smoky Mountain) made a lay-up with 20 seconds left to propel the Randolph College men's basketball team to a 75-73 overtime, come-from-behind victory over Huntingdon College (AL) in the final day of the Bojangles Holiday Challenge, hosted by Hampden-Sydney College.

                The WildCats remained as the lone undefeated team in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC), but it wasn't easy as Randolph trailed for much of the afternoon. Randolph fell behind early, and found itself down 11 with 6:12 left in the first period after a lay-up from Jake Hataway. The WildCats (11-0) chipped away at the Hawk advantage, thanks to six points from first-year Jason Eddie (Charlotte, NC/Davidson Day School) and trailed only 36-33 at the intermission.

                Shortly after the break, Randolph tied the game twice but Huntington (3-8) powered back ahead to lead by six. The WildCats evened the game at 48 apiece on a three by first-year Evan Horn (Westminster, MD/Winters Mill), but Huntington would retake the lead and hold that until just under a minute to play.

                With 57 seconds left in the game, Hunt nailed a triple to tie the game at 66 and force overtime. In the extra session, Randolph had to again fight from behind until senior Chris Battaglia (Smithfield, VA/Portsmouth) nailed a three to give the WildCats their first lead with 1:09 left in overtime. Huntington used a Jeremiah Thomas jumper to tie the game with 52 seconds left, but Hunt answered with the game-winner and first-year Corey Brown (Williamsburg, VA/Walsingham) notched a late steal to seal the win.

                Though not as efficient as normal, Hunt finished with a game-high of 27 points, making nine-of-22 from the first. Hunt added eight rebounds, while Mike Ehilegbu (Raleigh, NC/Ravenscroft) notched 17 points, a team-leading nine boards, four assists and a pair of steals. Horn finished with nine points, and Eddie and Brown each had seven points apiece.

                The WildCats posted their lowest shooting percentage of the season at 39.7 percent (25-63), while making only nine-of-33 from downtown. Randolph did make 16 free throws on the day, but was out-rebounded 48-34 on the game. The WildCats committed just 10 turnovers as well, the second-lowest total of the year.

                Huntingdon got a big double-double from Thomas, who finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Ryan Petty had 13 points and seven rebounds, and Austin Hill registered 12 points and eight rebounds in the loss. HC shot 44.3 percent (27-61) on the day, including hitting on nine-of-22 from deep. The percentage against was the second-highest for a WildCat opponent this year, bested only by the 44.9 percent by Arcadia College in the season opener.

                Randolph will return to the floor this upcoming Saturday afternoon, January 5 at 4:30 p.m. as ODAC play resumes in the Randolph Athletics and Dance (RAD) Center with a battle against the Yellow Jackets of Randolph-Macon College.

--RANDOLPH--