College Men’s Basketball Final – Guilford 76, Washington and Lee 65

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Jake Hopkins (Kernnersville, N.C./East Forsyth) and Trever Hyatt (Connelly Springs, N.C./East Burke) scored 15 points apiece in Guilford College’s 76-65 basketball win over visiting Washington and Lee University Saturday in both teams’ Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) opener. Hopkins added a game-high 12 rebounds as the Quakers improved to 5-0 (1-0 ODAC) for the first time since the 2011-12 campaign.

Guilford made seven-of-12 first-half three-pointers and held the Generals (1-2, 0-1 ODAC) to 29 percent first-half shooting en route to a 41-25 halftime lead. The margin grew to as many as 20 points with 14:09 left in the game before Washington and Lee rallied behind the play of Kevin Gill (Richmond, Va./Benedictine) and Patrick O’Connor (Richmond, Va./Douglas Freeman).

Gill drained two of his game-high five three-pointers during a 19-6 Generals’ run over a seven-minute, 24-second stretch midway through the second half. O’Connor also knocked down a triple and had six points during the 19-6 spurt that pulled the visitors to within 60-53, with 6:33 remaining. Washington and Lee drew no closer, thanks in part to the Quakers’ offensive rebounding. After the Generals cut it to seven, Guilford recovered offensive rebounds on four of its next five possessions, which led to eight Quakers’ points.

Guilford owned a 47-31 rebounding edge and collected 17 offensive rebounds that led to 17 points. Hyatt’s 15 points and Zeb Richardson’s (West Jefferson, N.C./Ashe County) 13 points and nine rebounds helped Guilford’s reserves outscore their Washington and Lee counterparts, 39-9. Matt McCarthy chipped in with 11 points and game-high six assists for Guilford.

Gill’s game-high 17 points paced the Generals. Andrew Franz (Charlotte, N.C./Ravenscroft) netted 15 points, 11 in the second half, and O’Connor finished with 14. Drew Kimberly collected six points and a team-high seven rebounds.

Guilford entertains nationally ranked Randolph-Macon College Tuesday (11/26) night in a 7:30 p.m. ODAC contest.