Box Score LYNCHBURG, VA – Randolph College senior guard Colton Hunt (Whittier, NC/Smoky Mountain) hit the final two of his game-high 29 points with 1.1 seconds left to propel the WildCat men's basketball team to a thrilling 72-70 Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) victory over Guilford College Wednesday evening from the Randolph Athletics and Dance (RAD) Center.
The final three minutes of the ballgame were some of the most exciting of the season, as both the squads went back and forth. The WildCats (18-4/9-4 ODAC) led by two after a pair of free throws by senior Chris Battaglia (Smithfield, VA/Portsmouth) with 3:36 remaining, but GC (16-6/8-5 ODAC) answered as senior sharpshooter Josh Pittman nailed a trifecta to put the Quakers up 69-68 with 2:30 left.
After a miss from the WildCats and a free throw from Quaker first-year Zeb Richardson, the WildCats got the ball back and tied the game on a jumper by Hunt with 1:20 on the clock. After back-to-back stops by both teams, Randolph got the ball at midcourt with eight seconds to go. Hunt took the inbounds, got a screen and nailed a jumper from the top of the key to help Randolph to the key ODAC win.
The WildCats brushed off an early first half deficit to lead by as much as 10 with 7:43 left on a lay-up from Hunt. GC went on a 12-2 run to tie the game at 25, but Randolph outscored the Quakers 13-4 down the final 3:51 of the first half to take a nine-point advantage into intermission at 38-29. The second half featured seven tie ballgames, as well as 11 lead changes.
Hunt finished with one of his most productive games of the year, notching his team-best 29 points on 10-of-16 shooting, making six-of-eight from the line to go with seven rebounds and a career-high eight assists. Battaglia chalked up a double-double of 15 points and 11 rebounds, his third double-double of the season.
First-year Corey Brown (Williamsburg, VA/Walsingham) nailed two shots from deep and netted seven points off the bench, and Mike Ehilegbu (Raleigh, NC/Ravenscroft) and Evan Horn (Westminster, MD/Winters Mill) each added six points. The WildCats shot 53.2 percent (25-47) from the floor, making 11 of their 23 attempts from the line. The 47.8 percent shooting from deep was the 10th game this season nailing over 45 percent from three-land.
Pittman was one of four players in double digits for the Quakers, as the senior guard posted team highs of 26 points and four assists. Jake Hopkins had a double-double of 10 points and 11 rebounds, while Matt McCarthy and Richardson ended with 13 and 12 points, respectively. GC hit 39.7 percent on field goals (23-58), and was a very efficient 17-of-19 (89.5 percent) from the line.
The WildCats will return to the RAD Center this Saturday for Senior Day, as the Generals of Washington and Lee University come to town for a 4:30 p.m. tip. Come early to watch the festivities as Hunt, Battaglia and Cameron Colquitt (Mechanicsville, VA/Atlee) are honored.
--RANDOLPH--
