For Immediate Release – 1/9/13 - #180

Second Half Defense Keeps WildCat Men Unbeaten in 73-61 Victory over Roanoke College

                LYNCHBURG, VA – The Randolph College men's basketball team ratcheted up the defense in the second half, holding Roanoke to just 36.4 percent from the field in pulling away for a 73-61 Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) win in play from the Randolph Athletics and Dance (RAD) Center Wednesday evening.

                Randolph remains as one of only six teams without a loss in Division III, upping its record to 13-0 with a perfect 5-0 ledger in league action. The win tonight was the third consecutive against the Maroons overall, and the second straight win for Randolph at home against Roanoke.

                The WildCats came out of the gates firing, hitting their first six shots of the game to take an early 16-6 lead 3:22 into the contest. Randolph pushed its lead up to 14 points near the midway part of the first half, as first-year Alex Conwell (Cary, NC/Green Hope) finished a pass from fellow newcomer DJ Langley (Raleigh, NC/Ravenscroft).

                Randolph continued to lead by 14 with 5:23 left in the stanza, but a late 12-2 run by Roanoke cut the host's lead down to four going into the intermission. Randolph's Colton Hunt (Whittier, NC/Smoky Mountain) and the Maroon's Kwasi Amponsah each had 13 at the half to pace their respective teams.

                After the intermission, Roanoke would pull to within four with 14:08 left in the game after a jumper from Jordan Thacker. After the two teams traded 6-0 runs, Randolph went in a 13-3 spurt to take a 14-point lead, with the run capped by a three by junior Mike Ehilegbu (Raleigh, NC/Ravenscroft). Roanoke got the lead back under 10 three times down the stretch, but got no closer than eight as the WildCats picked up the victory.

                "Our guys grinded out a win tonight," said head coach Clay Nunley. "Things weren't always easy for us tonight but our guys stuck together and executed down the stretch."           

                Hunt finished the contest with a game-high 27 points, making two-of-three from downtown and nine-of-10 from the line. Colton also posted a team-best eight rebounds and also recorded seven thefts, the second-most in a game ever at Randolph.

                Senior Chris Battaglia (Smithfield, VA/Portsmouth) had another fine game, making five-of-seven from the floor for 16 points. Battaglia also had five rebounds and five blocks, which set the single-game record for blocks in a contest for the WildCats. Ehilegbu posted 16 points and six rebounds, and Langley added six points, three boards and two assists.

                The WildCats shot 25-of-55 (45.5 percent) from the field on the contest, making 42.9 percent from downtown (9-21). The hosts had eight blocks as a team Wednesday, which set the program record for rejections in a contest. Randolph also made 14 of its 18 shots from the charity stripe.

                The Maroons were led by the 19 points from Amponsah, who was efficient making seven-of-11 on the evening. Julian Ramirez had nine points, eight rebounds, six assists and four steals off the bench for Roanoke, and Andrew Daniels had eight points in 18 minutes before leaving the game due to injury. RC shot 41.9 percent from the floor, but made only five of 25 attempts (20.0 percent) from downtown.

                The WildCats will travel to Virginia Wesleyan College this Saturday for a 2 p.m. ODAC tip in the Batten Center for their first true road game since December 3.

--RANDOLPH--