EMORY, Va. -- Seniors Colby Heard and DJ Woodmore scored 24 points each Saturday to lead the 13th ranked Virginia Wesleyan College Marlins to a 103-72 victory over Emory & Henry College in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference opener for both teams on the Wasps' court.
While the 24 markers matched the second-highest total of the season for Woodmore (Virginia Beach/Landstown), they also represented a career-high for Heard (Virginia Beach/Tallwood), who hit on 10-of-15 field goal attempts. He also pulled down eight rebounds.
Sophomore Sedric Nady (Virginia Beach/Landstown)added to the Marlins' highest offensive output of the season with 17 points. He had a near perfect night from the field, connecting on 7-of-8 field goal attempts, including three triples. When he wasn't scoring, Nady was helping to set up his teammates for scores, dishing out a career-high and game-high seven assists.
It was all part of a solid effort by the Marlins (5-0, 1-0), who took control of the game late in the first half. Junior Greg Montgomery (Virginia Beach/Princess Anne)scored back-to-back baskets, including a dunk with 7:36 remaining in the first half to push VWC out to a 38-30 lead. Nady followed with a triple and the Marlins led 41-30.
Emory & Henry (2-4, 0-1) closed within seven points, but consecutive triples by Woodmore and senior Aaron Clark (Chesapeake/Virginia Beach Tallwood) helped Virginia Wesleyan to open a 54-42 lead at the break.
The Wasps' Malcolm Green (Marshville, N.C./Forest Hills) scored the first basket of the second half, but the Marlins scored the next eight points to open up a 62-44 lead with 17:01 remaining in the game. It was the start of a hot shooting second half for the Marlins, who connected on nearly 60% of their field goal attempts to consistently build the lead.
Virginia Wesleyan posted its largest lead with 1:15 remaining on a layup by rookie Kendric Washington (Suffolk/Nansemond River), 102-68.
The Marlins hit on 21-of-36 field goals in the second, highlighted by a 5-of-5 showing by Heard, 3-of-3 by Nady, 5-of-6 by Woodmore, and 3-of-4 by senior Trent Batson (Lewes, Del./Cape Henlopen). Batson and Montgomery finished as the rebounding co-leaders for the Marlins, pulling down nine each. Montgomery also recorded a game-high four steals.
Stephen Brown (Charleston, S.C./Charleston Collegiate) led Emory & Henry with 19 points, followed by Charles Smith (Fayetteville, N.C./Fayetteville Academy) with 12, and Chavis Hamilton (Marion, N.C./McDowell) with 11. Hamilton led all rebounders with 14.
Virginia Wesleyan competes again on Monday, Dec. 2, hosting the Monarchs of Methodist University at 7 p.m. the Jane P. Batten Student Center.
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