LYNCHBURG, Va.- The Randolph men's basketball team hosted its final game of December on Saturday afternoon as the WildCats faced Southern Virginia in non-conference action. The game was close until the Knights pulled away late in the second half to win 69-59.
It was a tight contest in the first half as the score stayed within one possession for the majority of the time. A brief 6-0 run by the 'Cats did give the home team a 22-17 advantage with 7:07 remaining in the period. Southern Virginia rallied with an 8-0 run to end the half as they led 25-22 at the break.
Randolph was able to reclaim its lead in the second half. Trailing 35-33, the WildCats went on a 9-2 run to go up 42-37 with 10:23 left to play. The Knights responded with a 21-6 run to take the biggest lead by any team on the afternoon, 56-45, with 5:25 remaining in regulation. Back-to-back three-point buckets by Jordan Phillips-McLoyd (Johnson City, Tenn./Science Hill) cut the WildCat deficit to five points, 56-51, with 4:02 left to play. That would be as close as Randolph would get as the Knights went 9-of-12 from the free throw line in the last 3:28 of clock time to win the game.
Both teams were just a percentage point difference in overall shooting. Southern Virginia was 25-of-60 (41.7%) from the floor while Randolph went 22-of-54 (40.7). The WildCats did perform much better than their opponent from behind the three-point arc as they were 7-of-17 (41.2%) compared to SVU's 5-of-28 (17.9%) performance. The teams were also a percent different in free throw shooting with Southern Virginia going 14-of-19 (73.7%) from the charity stripe and the 'Cats (72.7%). The rebounding edge was slightly in the Knights' favor 38-35.
Leading the way for Randolph was Evan Makle (Dumfries, Va./Christ Chapel Academy) and his 19 points, He added six rebounds. Jerry Goodman (Suffolk, Va./Portsmouth Christian School) contributed eight points, four assists, and three rebounds. CJ Loving (Madison Heights, Va./Amherst County), Danny Bickey (Beckley, W.V./Woodrow Wilson) and McLoyd all chipped in seven points apiece. Loving grabbed six rebounds with Bickey picking up three steals, three assists, and one rebounds and McLoyd three rebounds and three assists.
The WildCats close out the first half portion of their season on December 19 as they travel to William Peace. Game time from Raleigh, N.C. will be at 2:00 p.m.
