For immediate release – 11/29/2015 - #124
WildCats Lose Heart Breaker in Overtime
LYNCHBURG, VA – Corey Brown tied the game with five seconds left in regulation, but the Randolph College men's basketball team fell in overtime to Eastern Mennonite University 83-78 on Sunday. The matchup was the first Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) game for both teams this season, and the tough game brought about 13 ties and eight separate lead changes.
The Royals came out strong in the early going, taking an early 11-2 lead after a layup by Xavier McCants. The 'Cats responded with two-straight shots from behind the arc, as Reid Jacoby and Seth Wimbish brought the game within three.
Both sides exchanged points until the 9:29 mark when Josh Freund hit two jumpers in a row, to tie the score at 18. Wimbish followed it with a layup of his own, to give Randolph its first lead of the ballgame, but it would not last. Tariq Caldwell and RaShawn Latimer finished consecutive baskets from close range to give EMU the advantage back. However, the lead would not stand long as the two teams went back and forth once again.
With 1:15 remaining, Freund made another shot to put the WildCats up two. Latimer then knocked down a three on the other side to give the Royals a one-point advantage with 49 seconds left in the half. But Wimbish and Jacoby added two points apiece in the final 33 seconds to give Randolph the 38-35 lead going into the half.
Coming out of the intermission, the two evenly matched squads continued to trade points. Every time the Royals scored, the 'Cats responded in some way. Randolph once again extended it to three points after Brown finished off a traditional three-point play. Isaiah Harris-Winn made a layup on the other end to cut the lead back to one. After Eastern Mennonite got the ball back, Ryan Fields made a great steal and finished a thunderous dunk to once again push the WildCats up three.
However, EMU came back in a big way. The Royals used a 20-9 run to take a 69-60 lead with just over four minutes remaining. But the 'Cats fought back right away, as Fields and Freund each found themselves on the receiving end of Zach Desgain passes to bring Randolph within five. Desgain followed it with a three of his own, pulling the WildCats within two. Following a great defensive possession and multiple hustle plays by Freund and Evan Horn, the 'Cats got the ball back. With the clock winding down, Brown drove to the basket to tie it up at 69 and it sent the game into overtime.
The Royals took the early lead, going up four just under two minutes in. Wimbish and Fields tallied to tie the game once more. But Eastern Mennonite scored five straight to seal the game.
Desgain led four WildCats in double figures with 15. Freund and Fields each added 12, while Wimbish finished with 11. The 'Cats shot 51.6% for the game. Maleke Jones finished with a game-high 18 points, while Harris-Winn and Latimer chipped in 17 and 16 respectively. Eastern Mennonite (3-1 overall, 1-0 ODAC) finished the game shooting 54% from the field.
Randolph (3-1, 0-1) will begin a long road trip that will last the entire month of December. The first road tilt will come at fellow ODAC member Shenandoah University (3-2) on Wednesday. The game will begin at 7 p.m.