The Virginia Wesleyan men's basketball team suffered their first conference loss of the season against Roanoke College, losing 77-67.
Omari DeVeaux led the Marlins with 22 points, shooting 7-for-17 from the field, 6-for-12 from three-point territory, and 2-for-3 from the free throw line; DeVeaux registered three rebounds, seven assists, two blocks, and one steal.
Amari Moorer had 12 points, going 6-for-12 from the field, 0-for-2 from the field, and 0-for-1 from the free throw line; Moorer tallied 12 rebounds, one assist, one block, and two steals.
Paul Anderson contributed 12 points as well, shooting 4-for-8 from the field, 2-for-5 from three-point territory, and 2-for-2 from the free throw line; Anderson had five rebounds, two assists, and one steal.
Paul Anderson started the game with a driving layup for the Marlins to put them first on the scoreboard. Roanoke responded, making two shots to gain the 4-2 lead, but
Omari DeVeaux sunk a three-pointer to give VWU a 5-4 lead with 17:38 on the clock. The Maroons took the advantage as the Marlins struggled offensively, making three consecutive baskets to lead 10-5. Once again, DeVeaux found the hoop from beyond the arc to bridge the scoring gap, and
Paul Anderson made two free throws to level the score at 10-10. VWU and Roanoke continued to play an evenly matched game as the score was tied three more times through the 10:31 mark where the teams were even at 21-21.
Roanoke went on a 6-0 run between 9:37 and 8:25 to gain a 27-21 lead, but
Omari DeVeaux made another three to bring the Marlins within four points. Roanoke once again extended their lead with a 9-0 scoring run. Omari Deveaux made his fourth three-pointer of the afternoon to put the Marlins behind by nine, but the Maroons continued to lead the Marlins, outscoring them 10-2 in the final five and a half minutes of the half. Roanoke entered halftime with a 48-30 lead.
The Marlins came out strong after halftime, making three straight baskets while keeping the Maroons scoreless for the first four minutes of the second half, bringing the score to 48-36. Roanoke made a three-pointer to extend their lead to 16, and
Khai Seargeant responded with a three of his own. The Maroons followed up with a jumper and another three to extend their lead to 18 for the first time since halftime with 11:43 on the clock.
Virginia Wesleyan was able to outscore the home team 13-5 between 11:23 and 7:38 to lessen the deficit to ten.
Paul Anderson made two clutch three-pointers in the remainder of the half to give the Marlins hope of coming back, but Roanoke continued their solid play until the finish, winning 77-67.
The Marlins will travel to Guilford College for their next ODAC contest on Wednesday, January 15 at 7:30 p.m.
