R-MC Wins Sectional Final, Headed to Fort Wayne for Men's Basketball Semifinals

Buzz Anthony, the ODAC Tournament MOP and 4-time ODAC Player of the Year, posted a game-high 23 points in leading Randolph-Macon back to the Division III semifinals with a 76-53 win over WPI.
Buzz Anthony, the ODAC Tournament MOP and 4-time ODAC Player of the Year, posted a game-high 23 points in leading Randolph-Macon back to the Division III semifinals with a 76-53 win over WPI.

ASHLAND, Va. --- Four-time ODAC Player of the Year Buzz Anthony posted a game-high 23 points to help propel Randolph-Macon College to a 76-53 victory over Worcester Polytechnic Institute in the sectional finals of the NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Tournament.

Randolph-Macon (31-1), ranked #1 in the country by D3hoops.com for much of the season, moves on to the national semifinals next weekend in Fort Wayne, Ind. All games will be played at Allen County War Memorial Coliseum. The event is hosted by Manchester University on Friday and Saturday, March 18-19.

The Yellow Jackets are in the midst of their 18th appearance in the Division III tournament. Their overall record on the national stage stands at 22-16 (.579). This will be their second appearance in the semifinal round, joining their same showing in Salem in 2010.

Joining R-MC in Fort Wayne will be Elmhurst University (Ill.), Marietta College (Ohio), and Wabash College (Ind.). Elmhurst (26-6) will square off with Wabash (28-3). The Blue Jays are ranked 16th by D3hoops.com, while the Little Giants are slotted 15th. Randolph-Macon's semifinal opponent will be Marietta (29-2). The Yellow Jackets defeated the second-ranked Pioneers, 82-74, in November.

RELATED: ODAC Teams in the NCAA Tournament | Division III Bracket

Randolph-Macon led WPI (27-3) by as many as 11 points in the first half with that advantage set after Anthony made the first of two straight three-pointers for a 38-27 lead with 3:18 on the clock. The Corsairs drew closer by the intermission at 40-33.

WPI pulled to within five points with a quick bucket just after play resumed, but that's as close as they would get. The Yellow Jackets went on an 8-0 run to move out to a 48-35 lead with 12:43 to play. They extended their lead to 24 points with a 17-4 streak for a 65-41 lead with 5:10 to go. R-MC's advantage hovered around the 20-point mark through the final.

Anthony paired his 23 points with five rebounds, four assists, and five steals. Mile Mallory added 11 points, three boards, and four blocked shots, leading R-MC's defense in holding WPI to 19-of-48 (39.6%) shooting from the field. Ian Robertson and Josh Talbert added nine points each with Talbert posting a game-high seven assists.

John Lowther led WPI with 15 points and six boards. Colin McNamara notched 13 markers with five rebounds. John Adams added 11 points and eight boards.