For Immediate Release January 26, 2000
Butler Leads Maroons to Win
Roanoke Improves to 15-2, 10-1 With 76-70 Win Over E&H
Roanoke vs. Emory & Henry Box Score
SALEM, VA--Trailing by as many as 12 points in the first half, the Roanoke College men’s basketball team fought its way back into the contest and picked up a 76-70 victory over the visiting Emory & Henry Wasps on Wednesday night in an Old Dominion Athletic Conference basketball game. The Maroons, ranked 16th in the country, are now 15-2 on the season and 10-1 in the ODAC, while the Wasps fall to 5-11, 3-7. Roanoke trailed by 12 points at the 10 minute mark of the first half, cut the lead to 10 with 2:32 to go and then went on a 11-0 run to end the half to take a 34-33 lead into the intermission period. The Maroons then scored the first seven points of the second half to extend their lead to eight. RC pushed its lead to 12 points with 11:22 to go in the game, but the Wasps chipped away, cutting the lead to just two points with 6:30 to go. E&H could get no closer in the contest, with Roanoke free throw shooting down the stretch keeping the Wasps at arm’s length.
Paris Butler (Springfield, VA/West Springfield) led all scorers in the game, knocking down 17 points, while also handing out three assists and grabbing three rebounds (all off the offensive glass). Kyle Murphy (Farmville, VA/Fuqua) posted his first double-double of the season, scoring 12 and hauling in 10 missed shots. Brad Dunleavy (Roanoke, VA/William Fleming) was the only other Maroon in double-figures, dropping in 10. The Maroons played most of the game without starting forward Jason Strickland (Charlottesville, VA/Covenant) who went down five minutes into the contest with a knee injury.
The Roanoke defense late in the first half and throughout the second half was the key to the game. The Maroons forced 24 E&H turnovers in the contest, and held the Wasps to just 23.7 percent from the field in the second half to complete the season sweep. This was RC’s first season sweep of the Wasps since the 1995-96 season.
Emory & Henry took control of the game early, going on a 10-0 run in the early in the first half to take a 20-10 lead. E&H kept Roanoke on 10 points for almost four minutes during the run. David McManus (Greensboro, NC/Western Guilford) topped the Wasp scoring column, knocking in 14 points on the night. He also had a game-high 11 boards and also was 8-for-8 from the free throw line. Patrick Bailey (Narrows, VA/Narrows) had 13 points and five rebounds for the Wasps.
The Maroons will face their toughest test of the season on Saturday as they travel to Hampden-Sydney College, which is the topped ranked team in the country. The game in Hampden-Sydney, VA begins at 2:00 pm.