SALEM, Va. -- As every opponent rises to the occasion attempting to be "THE" team that stops one of the longest winning streaks in the nation, individuals continue to step up for Virginia Wesleyan College's Marlins to keep the streak alive.

Roanoke College's Maroons, fresh off an impressive romp on the road against at good Washington & Lee University team, kept the pressure on the Marlins into the second half Saturday at the C. Homer Bast Center. 

But, the Marlins' depth was too much for the host team to keep in check as Virginia Wesleyan's impressive numbers emerged to help produce big numbers in a 96-82 Old Dominion Athletic Conference victory. It marked VWC's fourth consecutive win over Roanoke and 10th in the last 11 in a series that Virginia Wesleyan now leads 29-26.

VWC, ranked No. 2 nationally, extended its program record start to 16-0, and improved to 7-0 in the league, with the help of career-high scoring efforts from juniors Ed Roberts (Chesapeake, Va./Deep Creek) and Art Crew (Williamsburg, Va./Lafayette).  Both players came off the bench to contribute significant points as Roberts netted 17 and Crew scored eight.

Roberts scored 13 in the first half, including seven in a row that nearly wiped out Roanoke's largest lead of the game, a 10-point bulge with 4:39 to play in the half.  It helped put VWC on track as the Marlins tied the game twice in the final minutes before the half, which had Roanoke holding a slim 48-44 advantage.

Crew scored four points in each half, but came through for a big layup during a key 9-2 Virginia Wesleyan run ignited by sophomore Chris Teasley (Newport News, Va./Menchville), that gave the Marlins a 67-60 lead with 10:54 remaining in the second half.  Four foul shots by junior Rakeem Davis (Chesapeake, Va./Deep Creek) pushed the lead to 74-65 minutes later for VWC, but not for long.

Timely scoring by Kwasi Amponsah (Woodbridge, Va./Garfield), Melvin Felix (Caguas, Puerto Rico/Salem, Va.) and Ethan Humphries (Buchanan, Va./James River) cut the deficit to three points as the Maroons kept the pressure on VWC. 

But, not for long.

That's when sophomore Chris Astorga (Suffolk, Va./Virginia Beach Cape Henry) emerged big for Virginia Wesleyan, knocking down a pair of big-time triples, and scoring seven points overall, in a decisive 14-6 run that gave VWC an 88-77 lead with only 1:41 remaining to be played.  Sophomore floor leader Tre' Ford (Falls Church, Va./J.E.B. Stuart),who had an assist on Astorga's second triple in the run, also contributed five points to help the Marlins put things away.

A Felix triple pulled Roanoke within six with 1:15 on the clock, but the Maroons were forced to foul to get the ball back.  VWC solidified the win at the foul stripe, knocking down 8-of-8 attempts, two each by Teasley, Ford, Crew and Roberts.

Teasley and Roberts led Virginia Wesleyan with 17 points each, Astorga added 16 points, and junior Donald Vaughn (Woodbridge, Va./Dumfries Potomac) scored 13 points.  Astorga hit 5-of-7 field goal attempts and Roberts was 5-of-8, and each hit for three triples.  Vaughn played a big role defensively for the Marlins, recording a season-high six blocks that increased his career total to 142, the second highest total in VWC history.

Virginia Wesleyan hit eight triples overall and enjoyed one of its best showings ever from the charity stripes, hitting 34-of-43 attempts.  The total made is the second highest in VWC history, trailing only the 36 made against Ohio's Marietta College in 1980. 

Overall, 56 fouls were called, sending Roanoke to the stripes repeatedly as well.  The Maroons toed the lines 42 times, but connected on only 24.  Felix led that effort by hitting 7-of-13 en route to a team-high 20 points.  Matt Crazer (Covington, Va./Alleghany) added 17 points and Amponsah finished with 11.

Virginia Wesleyan returns to competition on Saturday, Jan. 22, playing in Greensboro, N.C. against the Quakers of Guilford College at 3 p.m.

--AMDG--