LYNCHBURG, Va. --- Randolph-Macon College is champion of ODAC men's basketball for the fifth time since 2011, with Thursday night's 70-62 victory over the University of Lynchburg marking the Yellow Jackets first back-to-back title winning effort during that stretch.
Randolph-Macon (10-0, 5-0 ODAC), ranked #1 in NCAA Division III by D3hoops.com, sit third in ODAC history with eight league trophies. This is the second time the Yellow Jackets have won championships in back-to-back seasons, joining their championships in 1990 and 1991. Thursday's event also marked R-MC's third consecutive appearance in the ODAC's final game.
Lynchburg (6-4, 2-2 ODAC) enjoyed the first significant lead of the contest after a pair of Israel Lockamy free throws put the Hornets on top, 11-6, a little more than four minutes into the contest. After a minute-long stint with the scored tied 11-11, Dow Dunton kicked off a mini 6-0 run for Lynchburg, but R-MC quickly erased that 17-11 lead following a three-pointer by Ian Robertson for the Jackets first lead of the game at 19-18 with 8:58 on the first-half clock.
Four points from T.C. Thacker and a jumper by Tharon Suggs -- who both represented Lynchburg on the all-tournament team -- put the Hornets ahead 24-19 with 4:35 to go. LYN's lead hovered around five points over the next two minutes another Robertson three-ball knotted the score at 28-all with 2:39 to play. A Josh Talbert three-pointer made it 31-28 R-MC, but Luke Romeo registered the final points of the half with a three-pointer at the 47-second mark, sending Lynchburg to the break up two at 33-31.
Tournament MOP Buzz Anthony was 9-of-9 from the foul line for the game. All of those made shots came in the second half as Randolph-Macon methodically took over control of the game and expanded its lead. Anthony's first two from the stripe locked the game at 33-all. Following a second tie at 37-37 with 16:40 on the clock, Lorenzo Woods gave R-MC a lead it would not surrender with a three-pointer at 15:33 for a 40-37 advantage.
Robertson made it 46-40 with a three-ball at the 14:18 mark and he later extended R-MC's advantage to nine points at 51-42 with a free throw at 10:52 to go. Talbert gave Randolph-Macon its first double figures lead at 54-44 with a three point at 9:04. David Funderburgh made it 60-46 Yellow Jackets with 3:24 on the clock, marking R-MC's largest lead of the game at 14 points.
Lynchburg made a late push behind a pair of Suggs three-pointers to pull to with seven points at 66-59 and six points at 68-62, but a pair of free throws each by Anthony and Woods kept Lynchburg from getting any closer thru the final horn.
Anthony led all players with 20 points. The two-time ODAC Player of the Year added five boards, five assists, and two steals. Robertson went 4-of-8 from deep on the way to 14 points with seven boards. Talbert finished with 12 points, seven rebounds, and four steals.
Thacker led Lynchburg with 19 points and 14 rebounds for his third double-double of the tournament. He collected 58 total rebounds in this season's tournament, setting a new ODAC record. His 26 rebounds in the semifinals at Ferrum are the second most all-time overall and in the ODAC Tournament. Suggs finished with 11 points, five rebounds, and four assists. Lockamy chipped in nine points.
ODAC ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
- Kajuan Madden-McAfee | Ferrum College
- Tharon Suggs | University of Lynchburg
- T.C. Thacker | University of Lynchburg
- Buzz Anthony | Randolph-Macon College (MOP)
- Ian Robertson | Randolph-Macon College
- Efosa Edosomwan | Roanoke College