LYNCHBURG, VA.- The Randolph men's basketball team went toe-to-toe with #1 Hampden-Sydney on Wednesday night at Giles Gymnasium. The WildCats hung with the Tigers all game but fell in the end by the score of 77-63.
The majority of the first half was either a one or two possession contest. Randolph trailed 25-20 with 8:46 remaining in the half but scored six straight points to go ahead 26-25 with 6:25 showing on the game clock. After Hampden-Sydney briefly took the lead, a three by Danny Bickey (Beckley, W.V./Woodrow Wilson) gave Randolph a 33-32 lead with exactly four minutes remaining. The Tigers grabbed the lead back on a 14-2 run to go up 44-35 at halftime.
In the second half, HS-C led 50-39 at the 18:07 mark. A 6-0 Randolph run made it a 50-45 game at 14:31. The Tigers answered with a 7-0 run to go up 57-45. The WildCats fought back to again make it a five-point game, 60-55, with 7:24 left to play. An 11-3 Hampden-Sydney run upped its lead to 13 points, 71-58, with 4:26 remaining. Randolph could get no closer than eight points as the Tigers pulled away for the win.
"Thought we had a great fight and spirit tonight," said head coach Pete Hamilton. "Our guys bought into the defensive end and out rebounded one of the better rebounding teams in our league. We stayed consistent with our defensive plan and HSC made some tough and contested shots to end up separating. Those guys are #1 in the nation for a reason and I was proud of how we competed."
The WildCats shot 23-of-48 (47.9%) on the night and 8-of-17 (47.1%) from behind the three-point arc. Hampden-Sydney was 29-of-60 (48.3%) and 8-of-21 (38.1%) in three-point attempts. Randolph had a 34-28 advantage in rebounds.
Bickey finished with 23 points on 8-of-12 shooting and was 4-of-7 in three-point baskets made. He also pulled down five rebounds. Rayvon Graham (Lynchburg, Va./E.C. Glass) added 14 points and a team-high seven rebounds. Amari Gorham (Yorktown, Va./Yorktown) finished with nine points and four rebounds.
"Rayvon was phenomenal tonight and I loved his aggression," noted Hamilton. "To go for 14 pts, seven rebounds and four assists and also not turn it over a single time is an awesome stat line for him. He's very capable of making a difference for us offensively - I hope he'll stay aggressive moving forward."
The WildCats go on the road Saturday to face Virginia Wesleyan. Game time is at 2:00 p.m.
"Men's basketball in this conference is maybe at the best level it's ever been," said Hamilton. "I think this team is really competing but we've had some lapses in "smart" play that haunt us when considering our opponents. We've got to keep working, keep enjoying the fight and chance to compete and see if we can get better for another tough test this weekend."
