For Immediate Release February 3, 2000
Maroons Steals Win From BC, 76-73
Brad Dunleavy Has Career-High 25 Points, Maroons Now 11-2 in the ODAC
Roanoke vs Bridgewater Box Score
SALEM, VA--Two crucial steals in the final 50 seconds of the game gave the Roanoke College men’s basketball team a 76-73 win over visiting Bridgewater College on Thursday night in an Old Dominion Athletic Conference contest. The Maroons, currently ranked 20th in the country, improve to 16-3 on the season, 11-2 in the ODAC, while Bridgewater falls to 14-6, 9-5 in league play. The Eagles were up by one point, 73-72, with just 50 seconds left when Roanoke’s Kyle Murphy (Farmville, VA/Fuqua) forced a BC turnover in the back-court. On the ensuing Roanoke possession, Brad Dunleavy (Roanoke, VA/William Fleming) was fouled on a jump shot and proceeded to knock down both foul shots and give the Maroons a one-point lead, their first lead since the 19:50 mark of the second half (40-38). The Eagles brought the ball down the court out of a timeout, but again turned the ball over to the Maroons, this time with just 20 ticks left. That turnover was caused by the low-post defense of RC junior Colby Leftwich (Roanoke, VA/Patrick Henry), who fought around a low post player and knocked the ball to Dunleavy, who then sank two more free throws.
Dunleavy finished the game with 25 points, tying his career-high, which he set in the second game of the season. The junior guard finished the game 7-of-11 from the field, 10-of-14 from the free throw line, and also with six assists and four steals. He scored the final eight points of the game. Senior center Ramsey Hathaway (Charlottesville, VA/Albemarle) chipped in 11 points and three steals, while Leftwich had nine points and seven rebounds. The Maroons turned the ball over a season-low nine times.
Kyle Williford (Raleigh, NC/Leesville) had a double-double for the Eagles, scoring 16 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. He was one of four Eagle players in double-figures in the game. Shane Burnette (Richmond, VA/Turner Ashby) had 15 for BC, while Brad Harrington (Richmond, VA/Monacan) had 14, but was just 4-of-10 from the floor. Bridgewater shot 46.9 percent from the field, but went cold at the end of the game, not scoring for the final 2:10 of the contest.
Roanoke led for a grand total of 1:25 in the game. The Eagles led for most of the first half, pushing the lead to as many as eight points, 18-6, with 14:22 to go. A Dunleavy layup at the 4:58 mark of the first gave Roanoke a two-point lead, but the Eagles answered back just 16 seconds later to tie the score and then take the lead. Before the late-game defensive stand, the only Roanoke lead of the second half came 10 seconds in on a Tom Dettloff (Virginia Beach, VA/Kempsville) three-pointer.
The Maroons host Hampden-Sydney College on Saturday at 3:00 pm. The Tigers are ranked number-one in the country and pulled off an 82-66 win over the Maroons last Saturday.