The Virginia Wesleyan University men's basketball team (0-2) fell in a hard-fought 74-71 battle against Wisconsin–La Crosse on Saturday afternoon in the TowneBank Tip-Off Final at TowneBank Arena.
Omari DeVeaux led the Marlins with 31 points, shooting 8-for-20 from the field, 3-for-9 from beyond the arc, and a perfect 12-for-12 from the free throw line; he added four rebounds and two assists.
Amari Moorer followed with 23 points on an efficient 10-for-18 shooting performance, including 2-for-5 from three-point range, and grabbed eight rebounds.
The first half was a defensive battle as both teams traded stops early on. Tied at 19-19, the Eagles went on a 10-0 run to take the lead to 27-19 right after the 10 minute mark. Virginia Wesleyan responded with a few shots to chip away at Wisconsin-La Crosse but not enough to take the lead. Towards the end of the half the Eagles took a 10-8 run to lead 37-30 before halftime. Ending the half at 37-30, the Marlins secured a few shots to bring it back to a 7 point gap before the second.
Coming out of the break, the Marlins fought hard to go shot for shot with the Eagles, even with a 12 point gap within the first 2 minutes. For the first half of the second half of the game, each team is even for shots but with the Marlins being down from the first half, they are still behind. VWU goes on an 8-0 run to bring the score back to 58-54 with 8:30 minutes left on the clock. The Marlins and the Eagles go shot for shot. Within the last minute the Eagles went on a 4-0 run before the Marlins answered right back as
Amari Moorer sank two clutch free throws to pull VWU within three with 36 seconds left. Despite the late surge, Wisconsin–La Crosse capitalized at the free throw line to extend its lead in the final moments. DeVeaux drove the length of the court for a quick layup to bring the score to 74–71, but time expired before the Marlins could complete the comeback.
Virginia Wesleyan will look to bounce back as they return to TowneBank Arena to host the Newport News Apprentice School in non-conference action on Wednesday, November 12, in Virginia Beach, Va.
