VIRGINIA BEACH -- It hasn't been this cold in the Jane P. Batten Student Center since 2009!

Virginia Wesleyan College's 55-47 loss to long-time rival Randolph-Macon College on Wednesday was due in large part to the Marlins' inability to get the long-range shots to jump.  It was definitely off the norm for the No. 7 ranked VWC team, which entered the Old Dominion Athletic Conference opener for both teams as the leading three-point shooting team in the league, averaging 11.3 per game.

But, that average took a hit Wednesday, as the Marlins connected on just 3-of-20 triple attempts, many of them uncontested.  It marked the coldest three-point effort for a VWC team since February 7, 2009, when the Marlins hit only 2-of-18 in a 71-66 home court loss to Bridgewater College.

VWC (4-1, 0-1) hit only two triples in 10 attempts in the first half and only one of 10 tries in the second half.  Randolph-Macon, which bounced back from a stunning 76-67 home court loss to Frostburg State University on Sunday, didn't set the gym on fire from behind the arc, hitting only 29.2%, but the Jackets hit when they needed them.  Chris Hamilton (Bellbrook, Ohio/Bellbrook) and Mike Silverthorn (Hackettstown, N.J./Blair Academy) nailed three each for R-MC.

One thing the host Marlins did not do was stop attacking.  VWC trailed 50-43 with 2:09 remaining in the game, but continued to pressure the Jackets down the stretch. The Marlins stole the ball twice on inbounds plays under the basket, but saw one shot attempt after another refuse to drop.  R-MC maintained its lead by hitting 5-of-7 free throws in the final minute.

After a back-and-forth first half, Virginia Wesleyan sparked a 9-0 run in the first three minutes of the second half to open up a 34-26 lead, led by Khory Moore (Arlington/Wakefield) with five points.  But Hamilton hit all three of his triples in the next three minutes, while VWC missed four shots, and R-MC led 35-34 with 14:31 on the clock.

Randolph-Macon opened up a 40-34 lead before Greg Montgomery (Virginia Beach/Princess Anne) and Moore helped guide VWC back to a 40-all tie.  Momentum swung for the final time in the next six minutes as R-MC hit 4-of-6 shots, while VWC hit just 1-of-7, as the Jackets opened up a 50-43 advantage with 2:09 remaining.

Moore emerged as the game's leading scorer, recording 18 points for the Marlins. He also had four steals. Montgomery added 11 points and a game-high 10 rebounds, and senior Cameron Owens (Centreville/Centreville) scord 10 points.

Hamilton finished with 12 points for R-MC.  He was the only scorer in double figures for the Jackets. Akeem Holmes (King William, Va./King William) led his team with eight rebounds.

Virginia Wesleyan returns to competition on Saturday, Dec. 7, in an ODAC contest at Guilford College at 3 p.m.

--AMDG--