The Basics
Score: #20 Roanoke 65 | Methodist 63
Records: Maroons 3-0 | Monarchs 1-4
Location: Salem, Va.
The Lead: The Maroons opened the season with a pair of wins over the weekend and welcomed a Methodist team to the Cregger Center that was playing their third straight game against Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) competition. A slow start for the Maroons would see the visitors from Fayetteville take an early advantage. Roanoke would mount a comeback and take a 30-22 edge into the break. RC would build as much as a 10-point edge, but could never pull away. A three-point play with 1.9 seconds left on the clock would make it a one-point Roanoke lead. A made free throw would make the final score 65-63 in favor of the 20th ranked Maroons.
How it Happened:
- Efosa U-Edosomwan opening the scoring with a pair of free throws. Methodist would score 18 of the next 28 points to take an 18-12 lead with 8:00 left in the first half.
- A Tripp Greene jumper followed by another hoop by U-Edosomwan would knot the score at 18-18. The duo would give Roanoke their largest lead to that point with a pair of U-Edosomwan free throws and Greene 3-pointer. Colin Burns drilled a three to make it a six-point RC edge and four more points for Greene to close the half gave Roanoke a 30-22 lead at the break.
- U-Edosomowan scored to push the lead to 10 in the opening seconds of the second half as Roanoke seemed poised to pull away. However, the Monarchs had other ideas and at the midway point of the second half, the Roanoke lead had shrunk to five.
- As the clock went under two minutes to play, a Nick Price jump shot made it 59-54. Three straight Methodist free throws would see the RC advantage cut to two, 59-57.
- Greene hit another jump shot to make it a two-possession game once again, leading to a Maroon timeout. A Methodist score made it 62-60 and they put RC at the foul line. A pair of misses gave the ball back to the visitors with 22 seconds left to play.
- Ethan Rohan forced a tough shot, secured the rebound, and was fouled with 10 ticks left on the clock. Rohan buried both free throws to put the Roanoke lead back to four.
- With three seconds to play, Dante Burden hit a jump shot while being fouled. He made the free throw and the score was 64-63. Price got the ball and was fouled with 0.7 seconds on the clock. The senior made the first, then missed the second and time would expire with Roanoke on top, 65-63.
- U-Edosomwan finished with a team-high 17. Kasey Draper played just three, first half minutes due to foul trouble but scored 13 in the second frame while Greene added 11. Price handed out five helpers while a trio of Maroons would lead with five rebounds apiece.
Up next: The Maroons host Pfeiffer on Saturday at 2:00pm in their final home game of November.
