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Maroons
Earn Shot at 11th Conference Title
Move on to Face Hampden-Sydney in ODAC Championship
February 24, 2007
Box Score
SALEM, Va. --- Roanoke College shot exactly 50-percent from the
field on Saturday afternoon, defeating Bridgewater College
87-62 to earn a spot in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference
(ODAC) Men’s Basketball Championship final contest against
Hampden-Sydney College. The Maroons (17-10) will be vying
for their conference-best 11th league crown.
Bridgewater bows out with a record of 10-17.
Roanoke’s
run to the conference final has come full circle after
starting the year 1-7. Since that time, the Maroons have
won 16 of the past 19 games.
“There
wasn’t a person, when we were 1-7, that had their head
down,” explained Roanoke head coach Page Moir. “They were
just trying to figure out ways to get out of it. To be
going to the championship game is a real testament to these
guys.”
Bridgewater
moved out to the first sizeable lead of the game, going up
18-11 following a three-pointer by Robert Rice. Roanoke
erased the deficit a few minutes later, and traded the lead
with five times before Curtis Peery put the Maroons on top
32-29 with 4:00 on the clock. Roanoke’s A.J. cashed in
eight points from there, leading the Maroons to a 42-34
halftime advantage.
Shooting
was a little spotty in the opening minutes of the second
frame, but Roanoke eventually caught fire and moved out to a
15-point lead with 13:28 to play following a pair of free
throws by Tee Jackson.
Roanoke pushed its advantage to 19 points, forcing Bridgewater into
a timeout, but the Maroons didn’t let the stoppage in play
quell heir momentum. Two more charity tosses from Jackson
game Roanoke’s its largest lead at 86-58 with 4:28 to play,
lending plenty of cushion to the final horn.
Dowell led
all scorers with 19 points, hitting 6-of-8 shots from the
field including both attempts from long distance. Sophomore
Curtis Peery recorded his second straight and sixth
double-double with 14 points and 11 boards. Six of those
rebounds came via the offensive glass. Junior Josh LaPorte
chipped in 10 points and six boards.
Freshman
D.J. Billups and junior Matt Drewer led Bridgewater with 10
points apiece. Fellow third-year man Josh Fox chipped in
nine points.
The men’s
final contest is set for Sunday, February 25, at 1:00 p.m.
in the Salem Civic Center. For more details including a
chance to watch and listen to the games online, please visit
the tournament website at
www.odaconline.com/odacbballtourney/index.htm.
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