DANVILLE, Ky. – Rhett Bonner (Yadkinville, N.C./North Forsyth) scored 27 points and Clay Henson (Glen Alpine, N.C./Freedom) added 23 to lead Guilford College past Averett University, 91-81, Saturday night in a second-round NCAA Division III Tournament game at Centre College.
With its 10th win in 11 games, Guilford (23-5) moves on to the NCAA third round to play John Carroll College Friday (3/13) at a sectional site to be announced Sunday. The Quakers are making their second trip to the NCAA sectional round in three seasons.
Averett ends its season with a 20-9 record after falling to Guilford for the second time this year.
Bonner scored 16 in the tightly contested first half, which saw nine ties and 12 lead changes. His two free throws seven seconds before halftime gave the Quakers a 42-21 lead headed into the locker room. Guilford erased a 10-point deficit midway through the first half thanks in part to 60 percent shooting from the floor. Averett forced 10 turnovers in the first half and drained six three-pointers.
Guilford opened the second half on a with a 17-6 spurt to open a 59-47 edge with 15:13 left in regulation. T.C. Anderson (Morrisville, N.C./Green Hope) drained two three-pointers during the run on the way to a career-high 12 points, all in the second half.
Averett senior Jonathan Rumley (Winston-Salem, N.C./Glenn) put the Cougars on his shoulders and singlehandedly rallied his team back into the game. He scored 17 consecutive points for Averett, capped by a three-pointer with 12:34 left that pulled the Cougars to within 61-59. Rumley, the USA South Athletic Conference Player of the Year, led all students with 29 points, six assists and four three-pointers.
Guilford answered with 11 unanwered points that included a traditional three-point plays by Tyler Sanborn and three-pointers by Bonner and Henson. George Neville’s (Westinster, Md./Winters Mill) layup off a Bonner feed capped the Quakers’ 11-0 run and restored a 72-59 edge with 10:17 left.
Rumley and Kenny Hart (Suffolk, Va.) made back-to-back three-pointers, which drew Averett to within 76-72 with 4:20 remaining, but solid free-throw shooting down the stretch restored a 12-point Quakers’ edge late in the game.
Sanborn recorded his team-leading 17th double-double with 19 points and a game-high 14 rebounds. Neville finished with 10 points and 10 boards, including six off the offensive glass. The Quakers enjoyed a 44-25 rebounding advantage and shot 55.6 percent from the floor for the game.
Hart finished with 16 points and Damien Brown (Raleigh, N.C.) added 11 off the bench for Averett.
Newspaper Box Score
Guilford vs Averett
03/07/09 7:00 p.m. at Danville, KY – Alumni Gym, Centre Coll.
At Danville, KY – Alumni Gym, Centre Coll.
GUILFORD 91, AVERETT 81
GUILFORD (23-5)
BONNER, Rhett 8-14 7-7 27; HENSON, Clay 8-18 4-6 23; SANBORN, Tyler 8-10 3-7
19; ANDERSON, T.C. 3-5 4-4 12; NEVILLE, George 3-5 4-6 10; MONROE, Brad 0-0
0-0 0; LOWDER, Gabriel 0-2 0-0 0; HIGH, Eric 0-0 0-0 0; STANLEY, Mat 0-0 0-0
0. Totals 30-54 22-30 91.
AVERETT (20-9)
RUMLEY, Jonathan 11-19 3-5 29; HART, Kenny 5-10 3-4 16; BROWN, Damien 4-6
3-4 11; PAGENTINE, Chris 3-5 0-0 7; FRAZIER, Ryan 2-8 0-1 5; WEHLING, Jeff
1-2 2-2 5; MILLER, Mike 2-6 0-0 4; PARKER, Justin 1-8 0-0 2; CORTES, Victor
1-1 0-1 2; PIERCE, Ruben 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 30-67 11-17 81.
Guilford…………………. 42 49 – 91
Averett………………….. 41 40 – 81
3-point goals–Guilford 9-22 (BONNER, Rhett 4-9; HENSON, Clay 3-7; ANDERSON,
T.C. 2-4; LOWDER, Gabriel 0-2), Averett 10-27 (RUMLEY, Jonathan 4-6; HART,
Kenny 3-8; PAGENTINE, Chris 1-1; WEHLING, Jeff 1-1; FRAZIER, Ryan 1-5;
PARKER, Justin 0-5; MILLER, Mike 0-1). Fouled out–Guilford-None,
Averett-None. Rebounds–Guilford 44 (SANBORN, Tyler 14), Averett 25 (MILLER,
Mike 5). Assists–Guilford 15 (HENSON, Clay 5), Averett 15 (RUMLEY, Jonathan
6). Total fouls–Guilford 15, Averett 19. Technical fouls–Guilford-None,
Averett-None. A-187
NCAA Division III Tournament – 2nd Round
Dave Walters
Guilford College Athletics