ASHLAND, Va. – Tourney MVP Buzz Anthony (Arnold, Md./Archbishop Spalding) led all scorers with 26 points as the seventh-ranked Randolph-Macon men's basketball team outlasted Rowan 73-66 in the championship game of the 2019 R-MC Coaches Tournament sponsored by Fink's Jewelers on Monday afternoon in Crenshaw Gym.

The Basics:

Score: Randolph-Macon 73, Rowan 66

Location/Venue: Ashland, Va./Crenshaw Gym

Records: R-MC 11-0, Rowan 5-6

How it Happened:

• The Profs scored the first seven points before a pair of layups by freshman Josh Talbert (Virginia Beach, Va./Kellam) made it 7-4 with 16:10 left in the first half. Rowan pushed the lead to 10 before a pair of three-pointers by Anthony sparked a 10-3 spurt as the Yellow Jackets made it a three-point game at 19-16 with 9:40 remaining. The Profs put up seven straight points to go up 10 again before a three-point play by Anthony started a 10-2 run and his trey capped it as R-MC closed within two at 28-26 with six minutes left. Junior Terry Woods (Burlington, N.C./Burlington School) made a layup with 2:50 left to tie the score at 32-32. Talbert nailed a three-pointer with one second left as the Yellow Jackets took their first lead at 39-38 at intermission. Anthony led all scorers with 16 points, while Talbert added nine.
• A three-pointer by Anthony capped a 7-3 start to the second half as R-MC took a 46-41 advantage with 17:35 remaining. Anthony sank a pair of free throws to give the home team a six-point advantage at 53-47 with 11:36 left. An 8-2 run by the Profs tied the game at 55-55 with eight minutes remaining. A one-hander in the lane by junior David Funderburg (Greensboro, N.C./Northwest Guilford) broke the tie and a long trey by sophomore Ian Robertson (Lewes, Del./Cape Henlopen) put the Yellow Jackets up 60-55 with five minutes left. Rowan buried two treys to go up one before a pair of foul shots by Anthony gave R-MC a 62-61 edge with 2:20 remaining. After the Profs reclaimed the lead, senior Corey Bays (Bel Air, Md./CM Wright) hit a baseline jumper and a steal by Anthony led to a layup by Robertson as the Yellow Jackets took a 66-63 lead with one minute left. R-MC would hit their final seven free throws in the last 43 seconds of the contest to secure the 73-66 victory.

By The Numbers:

• The Yellow Jackets had two score in double figures. Freshman Miles Mallory (Beltsville, Md./St. Vincent Pallotti) finished with 10. Robertson and Talbert both tallied nine points.
• R-MC held a 34-31 advantage on the boards. Robertson, an All-Tournament selection, paced the victors with seven, while Anthony and Mallory both grabbed six. The Yellow Jackets held the Profs to just four offensive rebounds.
• The Yellow Jackets had 19 assists on 24 field goals. Anthony led R-MC with six, while Woods dished out five.

For The Record

• Joining Anthony and Robertson on the All-Tournament Team were Connor Dickerson of Rowan, Zach Tucker of Lebanon Valley and Lucas Curran of Dickinson.
• R-MC won its first 11 games of the season for the sixth time in program history. The Yellow Jackets are off to their best start since winning their first 13 contests of the 2009-10 season.
• Rowan had highs for an R-MC opponent this season with 23 field goals made and field goal percentage of 47% (23-49).

Up Next:

• Randolph-Macon will return to ODAC play on Saturday, Jan. 4 with a 2 p.m. contest at Emory & Henry.