Quakers claim ODAC semifinal win in Salem, Virginia

SALEM, Va. – Rhett Bonner (Yadkinville, N.C./North Forsyth (Presbyterian) and Clay Henson (Glen Alpine, N.C./Freedom) both scored 21 points to lead Guilford College past Virginia Wesleyan College, 78-62, in an Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Basketball Tournament semifinal Saturday.

The Quakers (25-2), ranked fourth in this week’s D3hoops.com Top 25 Poll, will play Randolph-Macon College Sunday (2/28) at 3:30 p.m. for the ODAC title and the league’s automatic NCAA Division III Tournament berth. Randolph-Macon knocked off top-seeded and seventh-ranked Eastern Mennonite University, 81-80, in Saturday’s first semifinal game.

Bonner made six-of-nine three-pointers in the game, including four in the first half on the way to 15 points. Henson, who missed all seven three-pointers in Friday’s quarterfinal win over Lynchburg College, made three three-pointers and had 12 points at the break. Guilford held a 39-30 halftime lead after trailing 13-7 in the opening minutes.

Guilford limited the 11th-ranked Marlins (22-5) to 32 percent shooting in the first half and prevented Virginia Wesleyan from making a second-half run. The Marlins drew no closer than eight points as the Quakers held them to 29 percent shooting in the second half.

Guilford sophomore Brad Monroe (Asheboro, N.C./Eastern Randolph) gave the Quakers a big boost off the bench, scoring all of his career-high 11 points in the second half. Senior Tyler Sanborn (Mt. Airy, N.C./Elkin), the ODAC’s Kurt Axe Player of the Year, notched his league-leading 24th double-double with 11 points and a game-high 15 rebounds. He also had three blocks and two steals.

Senior Stephen Fields led Virginia Wesleyan with 15 points, but was held to three-of-17 shooting from the floor. Chris Astorga added 12 points and a team-best 10 boards. Donald Vaughn contributed 10 points and five rebounds.

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Newspaper Box Score

Virginia Wesleyan vs Guilford

02/27/10 8:30 p.m. at Salem, Va. – Salem Civic Center

At Salem, Va. – Salem Civic Center

GUILFORD 78, VIRGINIA WESLEYAN 62

VIRGINIA WESLEYAN (22-5)

FIELDS, Stephen 3-17 8-9 15; ASTORGA, Chris 5-9 1-1 12; VAUGHN, Donald 3-9

4-4 10; TEASLEY, Chris 3-7 1-3 9; RICHARDSON, Jamie 1-3 6-9 8; MOORE, Chris

1-4 4-6 6; BAYNHAM, Chris 1-1 0-0 2; WATSON, Trevor 0-1 0-0 0; ROBERTS, Ed

0-3 0-0 0; BROWN, Ali 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 17-56 24-32 62.

GUILFORD (25-2)

HENSON, Clay 7-17 4-5 21; BONNER, Rhett 7-17 1-1 21; SANBORN, Tyler 4-7 3-5

11; MONROE, Brad 3-4 5-5 11; PITTMAN, Josh 2-8 4-4 8; STEPHENSON, Martin 3-6

0-0 6; AKINSOLA, Tobi 0-0 0-0 0; ANDERSON, T.C. 0-1 0-0 0; LOWDER, Gabriel

0-1 0-0 0. Totals 26-61 17-20 78.

Virginia Wesleyan…………. 30 32 – 62

Guilford…………………. 39 39 – 78

3-point goals–Virginia Wesleyan 4-13 (TEASLEY, Chris 2-4; ASTORGA, Chris

1-4; FIELDS, Stephen 1-2; ROBERTS, Ed 0-2; RICHARDSON, Jamie 0-1), Guilford

9-21 (BONNER, Rhett 6-9; HENSON, Clay 3-9; PITTMAN, Josh 0-2; ANDERSON, T.C.

0-1). Fouled out–Virginia Wesleyan-None, Guilford-None. Rebounds–Virginia

Wesleyan 38 (ASTORGA, Chris 10), Guilford 43 (SANBORN, Tyler 15).

Assists–Virginia Wesleyan 7 (FIELDS, Stephen 3), Guilford 10 (HENSON, Clay

3; STEPHENSON, Martin 3). Total fouls–Virginia Wesleyan 19, Guilford 23.

Technical fouls–Virginia Wesleyan-None, Guilford-None. A-1640

2010 ODAC Men’s Basketball Tournament

Semifinal #2 – Guilford vs. Eastern Mennonite

Guilford is ranked 4th is this week’s D3hoops.com Top 25 Poll. Va. Wesleyan is ranked 11th.

Dave Walters
Guilford College Athletics