STAUNTON, Va.- The Randolph men's basketball team returned to the hardwood for the first time in nearly two weeks on Monday as the WildCats faced Mary Baldwin in a mid-afternoon non-conference game. The Fighting Squirrels outscored the 'Cats 48-30 in the second half on their way to an 87-65 win.

Randolph's overall record evens at 5-5. Mary Baldwin improves to 5-5.

The WildCats had an early 4-3 in the opening minutes of the first half until the Fighting Squirrels went ahead 5-4 at the 18:02 mark. Their lead held until less than seven minutes later when Amari Gorham's (Yorktown, Va./Yorktown) layup tied the game at 12-12 and was part of a 10-2 run that put the 'Cats up 20-14 with 9:22 left on the clock. MBU responded with a 13-4 run to regain the lead and go ahead 28-24 with 5:49 showing on the clock. Back-to-back three-point baskets by Jordan Phillips-McLoyd (Johnson City, Tenn./Science Hill) edged the WildCats on top 30-28 with 4:38 remaining. Mary Baldwin's 9-1 run gave it a 37-31 lead with 1:50 left until halftime. Randolph closed to within two points, 37-35, with 53 ticks remaining and MBU added a layup with 33 seconds on the clock to go into the locker room with a 39-35 lead.

In the second half, the Fighting Squirrels doubled their lead to eight points, 45-37, less than two minutes into the period. Randolph rallied to close to within one possession, 45-43, at 17:40 and made it a one-point contest, 47-46, with 15:04 left in the game. Mary Baldwin's game-changing 20-2 run broke the game open as it led 68-48 with 7:16 left on the game clock. The WildCats went 10:42 of game time without scoring a field goal and Phillips-McLoyd's layup with just under seven minutes to play ended the scoreless drought for the 'Cats.

Randolph made 60% (12-of-20) of its shots in the first half but converted just 28.6% (10-of-35) of its field goals in the second half. The team was 2-of-14 (14.3%) overall from behind the three-point arc. The WildCats edged out the Fighting Squirrels on the board with a 36-34 advantage.

Gorham led the WildCats with a new career-high of 22 points on 7-of-9 shooting. He was 8-of-11 from the free throw line. Phillips-McLoyd finished with 14 points, three assists, and two rebounds. Landon Wagoner (Martinsville, Va./Carlisle School) led the team in rebounds with nine.

Randolph returns to ODAC play this Saturday when it hosts Washington and Lee. Game time from Giles Gymnasium is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.