GREENSBORO, N.C. – Guilford College sophomore Liam Ward scored a game- and career-high 19 points in the Quakers' 67-50 men's basketball victory over visiting North Carolina Wesleyan College Sunday afternoon.
Ranked 19th in the current D3hoops.com Top 25 Poll, Guilford (3-1) extended its winning streak to three and clinched a 2-0 record in the weekend's three-team Guilford College Classic. The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor placed second with a 1-1 mark. N.C. Wesleyan (0-3) finished third with two losses.
The lead changed hands six times in an entertaining opening half before the Quakers opened a 31-25 halftime lead. Ricardo Bullock scored 12 of his 19 points in the first half to keep North Carolina Wesleyan within striking distance. Ward had nine first-half markers for Guilford, who scored 13 points off of 11 Bishops' turnovers in the opening frame.
A Ward breakaway dunk started by a Tyler Dearman steal opened a 10-point margin three-and-a-half minutes into the second half. The play forced a North Carolina Wesleyan timeout, after which the Bishops played their most spirited ball of the game. Cameron Martin's three-pointer triggered a 12-2 run that tied the game at 39-39. Martin added another three during the spurt, which saw the guests keep Guilford without a field goal for nearly seven minutes.
The Quakers rebounded and Dearman drained two long three-pointers in a decisive 11-1 run, including an NBA-length trey that opened a 50-40 margin with seven minutes left in regulation. The Bishops could not answer as Guilford's defense yielded just three field goals in the game's final 10 minutes.
Dearman finished with 10 points (8 in the second half) and four points off the bench. Senior Kyler Gregory added 16 points, seven boards, and three steals to join Ward and Dearman on the all-tournament team. Guilford forced North Carolina Wesleyan into 25 turnovers that led to 26 Quakers' points.
Bullock shared game-high scoring honors with 19 points before fouling out. He and A.J. Frye (7 points, 4 rebounds) earned all-tourney recognition. Mitch Layton collected 10 points and eight boards. The Bishops outrebounded Guilford, 37-29.
Coach Tom Palombo's Quakers host Averett University Wednesday (11/20) at 7:00 p.m. The game was initially scheduled for Tuesday but was switched shortly after Sunday's game.
NOTE: Byrale Carter represented Mary Hardin-Baylor on the all-tourney team.