HAMPDEN-SYDNEY, Va.- The Randolph men's basketball team traveled to Hampden-Sydney on Saturday to face the #3 ranked Tigers. The WildCats took an early first half lead on the Tigers but HSC came back to overtake Randolph and win by the score of 78-68.
Hampden-Sydney scored the first two baskets of the game to go ahead 4-0. Randolph used an 18-4 run to grab the lead and go up 18-8 with 12:45 showing on the game clock. The Tigers closed to with five points but the WildCats added to their advantage with a 13-4 run to go up 31-17 with under nine minutes remaining in the half. The tide then turned as Hampden-Sydney's big 26-2 run swung momentum to the home team's way as the Tigers went ahead 43-33 at halftime.
A three to start the second half by Landon Wagoner (Martinsville, Va./Carlisle School) cut HSC's lead to seven points. Four straight points by the Tigers brough their lead back up to double digits. Down by 13 points, Randolph was able to make it single digits after a pair of free throws by Evan Wiehe (Northfield, OH/Nordonia) and a jump shot made it a nine-point contest, 58-49, with 11:27 showing on the game clock. Hampden-Sydney bumped its advantage to 12 points, 63-51, with 7:48 left to play. Three-point baskets by Danny Bickey (Beckley, W.V./Woodro Wilson) and Ryan Viruso (Davidson, N.C./Hough HS) made it a two-possession contest with just under six minutes left. After the Tigers added to their lead, the WildCats closed to single digits as late as 17 seconds left but Hampden-Sydney made its free throws and held off the Randolph comeback attempt.
"Think our guys should hold their heads high after the effort," said head coach Pete Hamilton after the game. "We played with a great spirit and grit - we were just too sloppy with it to beat the #3 team in the country on the road. They got more possessions than us and they made plays with those possessions."
Randolph shot 24-of-56 (42.9%) on the day and was 10-of-26 (38.5%) from behind the three-point arc. Hampden-Sydney made 28-of-62 (45.25) of its shots and 8-of-24 (33.3%) in three-point attempts. The Tigers edged out the WildCats in the rebound battle 38-36.
Bickey led the 'Cats with 19 points to go with four assists and four rebounds. Wagoner finished with 12 points and six rebounds. Wiehe chipped in nine points. Cole Perry (Salisbury, N.C./Jesse Carson HS) had a team-high 10 rebounds to go with eight points, three assists, and three steals. Amari Gorham (Yorktown, Va./Yorktown) also scored eight points and dished out four assists.
"I appreciated how our guys executed defensively all game," noted Hamilton. "When we were set and they weren't playing off turnovers, we gave them trouble. And to be about even on the glass with that HSC team is quite an impressive feat for our guys. Our guys have strung together a nice three-game stretch even though this one didn't end in a win. I'm proud of the character of our team."
Randolph will close out its regular season next Saturday at home against Virginia Wesleyan. Game time from Giles Gymnasium is at 2:00 p.m.
