EMORY, Va. - Senior Daniel Noe (Fairfax, Va./Bishop Ireton) and junior Montese Adams (Richmond, Va./Fuqua) both scored 17 points as the Randolph-Macon men's basketball team dropped a 75-65 decision at Emory & Henry Saturday afternoon in a battle for first place in the ODAC.
The Yellow Jackets (13-4, 7-1 ODAC) dropped their first conference contest of the season and snapped a 15-game win streak against the Wasps (16-1, 8-0 ODAC).
Adams hit eight field goals and one three-pointer. He also grabbed a season-high nine rebounds. Noe tallied 15 of his 17 points in the second half, going 5 for 7 from behind the arc after halftime. He matched his career best with five three-pointers.
E&H hit a pair of free throws to start the scoring before freshman Buzz Anthony (Arnold, Md./Archbishop Spalding) hit a three-pointer to give R-MC an early 3-2 edge. The Wasps put together a 13-4 run to go ahead 15-7 with 12:45 left in the first half. The E&H lead grew to 11 at 24-13 with 8:20 remaining. The Yellow Jackets trailed 26-18 before a 12-2 spurt gave the home team a 38-20 advantage with 1:40 left. Junior Grayson Midulla (Glen Allen, Va./Glen Allen) hit a free throw and junior Luke Neeley (Orange, Va./Woodberry Forest) nailed a trey as R-MC was down 38-24 at the break. Adams paced the Yellow Jackets with nine points and six rebounds in the first period.
Junior Darryl Williams (Columbia, Md./Glenelg Country) converted a three-point play to start the second half as R-MC pulled within 11 at 38-27 before seven straight points by E&H gave the Wasps a 45-27 advantage two minutes into the second stanza. Noe and sophomore Korey Turner (Midlothian, Va./Amelia Academy) both had six points in a 19-0 run by the Yellow Jackets, giving the visitors a 46-45 edge with 14:50 remaining. The Wasps responded with a 12-2 spurt to reclaim the lead at 57-48 midway through the second half. Freshman David Funderburg (Greensboro, N.C./Northwest Guilford) hit two free throws and Adams made a pair of layups as R-MC closed within three at 57-54 with 7:50 left. An 11-5 run by E&H made it 68-59 with 3:15 remaining. Noe made two treys in the final three minutes, but the Wasps scored five of their final seven points from the free throw line in recording the 75-65 win.
Funderburg scored six in the second half and matched his season high with eight points. Anthony had nine assists, giving him 29 assists in the past three contests.
Randolph-Macon returns home on Wednesday, Jan. 24 for a 7 p.m. ODAC contest against Eastern Mennonite in Crenshaw Gym.