SALEM, Va. – Junior Buzz Anthony (Arnold, Md./Archbishop Spalding) had 17 points, including eight in a game-ending 13-2 run over the final five minutes, and the run was capped by a steal and layup by senior Korey Turner (Midlothian, Va./Amelia Academy), as the fifth-ranked and top-seeded Randolph-Macon men's basketball team rallied past fifth-seeded Roanoke 60-59 Saturday evening in the semifinals of the ODAC Championship.

The Basics:

Score: Randolph-Macon 60, Roanoke 59

Location/Venue: Salem, Va./Salem Civic Center

Records: R-MC 25-2, Roanoke 17-10

How it Happened:

• The Maroons would score the first six points of the game before a three-pointer by junior Terry Woods (Burlington, N.C./Burlington School) cut the deficit in half. RC extended its lead to 9-3 before a layup by freshman Josh Talbert (Virginia Beach, Va./Kellam) and a trey by sophomore Ian Robertson (Lewes, Del./Cape Henlopen) made it a one-point contest. A free throw by Woods would even the score at 9-9 with just under 12 minutes left in the first half. The Maroons would score seven straight points before a layup by Talbert made it 16-11 with 8:40 remaining. A layup by senior Corey Bays (Bel Air, Md./CM Wright) gave R-MC its first lead at 18-16 and a one-hander by junior David Funderburg (Greensboro, N.C./Northwest Guilford) capped an 11-0 run as the Yellow Jackets led 20-16 with 5:40 left. R-MC led 22-21 before a three-pointer by Turner followed by a jumper and two free throws by Anthony made up a 7-2 spurt as the Yellow Jackets held a 29-23 edge at intermission. Turner and Anthony paced R-MC with six points each.
• RC scored the first 12 points of the second half before a layup by Anthony and three-pointers by Roberts and Talbert gave R-MC a 37-35 edge with 14:45 left. The Maroons would use a 14-5 run to go up 49-42 before a pair of free throws by Robertson made it 49-44 with 7:39 remaining. The Maroons extended their lead to 10 at 57-47 with five minutes left before Anthony hit two free throws, senior Kent Kilgroe (St. Petersburg, Fla./Shorecrest Prep) sank a trey from the corner and Anthony hit two more foul shots to make it 57-54 with 3:25 left. Anthony would have two layups around an RC bucket as the Yellow Jackets trailed 59-58 with 1:30 remaining. Talbert would tap the ball from a Maroon and Turner would grab the steal and convert a layup with 19.7 seconds left put R-MC up one at 60-59. The Maroons would miss a final shot and Talbert would secure the rebound as the horn sounded.

By The Numbers:

• R-MC had three score in double figures. Along with 17 by Anthony, Robertson and Talbert both tallied 11.
• Both teams had 29 rebounds. Anthony paced the Yellow Jackets with seven, while Robertson and Talbert both corralled five.
• Anthony had five assists and Talbert dished out four.
• Anthony snagged four steals.
• RC committed just 10 turnovers, but R-MC had a 19-8 advantage in points off turnovers.
• The Yellow Jackets had seven turnovers. R-MC has been in single digits in turnovers in six straight games and 10 times in the past 13 contests.

For The Record

• The Yellow Jackets have won 13 of their past 14 games.
• R-MC is 15-3 in the semifinals of the ODAC Tournament.
• Josh Merkel recorded his 100th victory as head coach of the Yellow Jackets. He is 100-37 in five seasons, a winning percentage of 73%.
• Freshman Miles Mallory (Beltsville, Md./St. Vincent Pallotti), the ODAC Newcomer of the Year, did not play due to medical reasons for the second straight game.
• Anthony has 1,148 career points, passing Stewart Nelson's total of 1,137 to move into 31st place in program history.
• Anthony has 466 career assists, tying Paul Gartlan for third place in program history.

Up Next:

• Randolph-Macon will face the winner of #2 Virginia Wesleyan and #6 Lynchburg in the ODAC Championship Game on Sunday, March 1 at 3:30 p.m.