College Men’s Basketball Final – Guilford 75, N.C. Wesleyan 70

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Guilford College overcame Eric Dortch-Jones’ 24 second-half points and hung on for a 75-70 men’s basketball win over visiting North Carolina Wesleyan College Monday night.

The Quakers (6-2) opened the game on a 19-4 run and built a 24-point first-half lead before settling for a 47-26 halftime edge. Guilford shot nearly 61 percent from the floor in the period, including seven for 13 from three-point range. The Bishops (6-3) managed 34 percent field-goal shooting and were outrebounded, 24-13.

The second half was a very different game as North Carolina Wesleyan rode Dortch-Jones’ hot hand and gradually cut into Guilford’s lead. The Bishops ramped up their defense and held the Quakers to 28.6 percent field-goal shooting in the second half. Guilford also committed 10 of their 15 turnovers in the second period, which led to 11 Bishops’ points. With a few more makes from the free-throw line, Dortch-Jones could have matched the Quakers’ 28 second-half points.

Guilford managed just six second-half field goals, the last of which came from Matt McCarthy with 3:57 left in regulation. Guilford shot nine-for-14 from the free throw line in the final four minutes as the Bishops fouled down the stretch to stop the clock. They finally made it a one-possession game when Dortch-Jones made two free throws with 2.5 seconds left to get the Bishops to within 73-70. Guilford’s Trever Hyatt was fouled on the ensuing possession and iced the game with two free throws.

McCarthy and Jonny Rice both finished with a team-high 16 points. Hyatt netted 15 points, 11 in the second half. Rice collected a game-high 13 rebounds for his team-leading third double-double of the season. McCarthy also contributed six rebounds, a game-high seven assists, four steals and three three-point field goals. Will Freeman scored nine points off the bench for Guilford on four-for-six shooting from the floor.

Dortch-Jones led all scorers with 29 points and paced the Bishops with 10 rebounds. Adrian Moore added 10 points and four assists. Teammate D.J. Weaver scored nine points.

The Quakers, now 5-0 against USA South Athletic Conference teams this season, return to action Dec. 29-30 in a four-team tournament hosted by Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. Guilford opens play versus the University of Southern Maine Dec. 29.

NC Wesleyan vs Guilford
12/15/14 6:00 PM at Greensboro, NC – Ragan-Brown Field House

GUILFORD – 75
NC WESLEYAN = 70

NC WESLEYAN (6-3): Dortch-Jones, Eric 10-20 9-15 29; Moore, Adrian 5-7 0-1 10; Weaver, D.J. 3-8 0-0 9; Brown, Brandon 3-6 0-0 8; Huff, Shannon 3-5 0-0 6; Douglas, Kaimonne 1-3 0-1 3; Simpson, Jesse 1-6 0-1 2; Lancaster, Josh 1-3 0-0 2; Hauser, Allen 0-3 1-2 1; Brown, Isaac 0-3 0-0 0; Williams, Devontae 0-2 0-0 0; Cannady, Jalen 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 27-69 10-20 70.

GUILFORD (6-2): Jonny Rice 5-6 6-15 16; Matt McCarthy 5-12 3-4 16; Trever Hyatt 5-15 4-4 15; Will Freeman 4-6 1-3 9; Will Koppenhaver 3-5 1-2 7; Zachary Houston 2-3 1-2 6; Sanders Rohs 1-1 0-0 3; Brandon Staves 1-4 0-0 3; Cole Greene 0-0 0-0 0; Jarred Hinton 0-0 0-0 0; Hunter Jackson 0-1 0-0 0; Jarrod Rogers 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 26-54 16-30 75.

NC Wesleyan...................   26   44  -   70
Guilford......................   47   28  -   75

3-point goals–NC Wesleyan 6-21 (Weaver, D.J. 3-6; Brown, Brandon 2-4; Douglas, Kaimonne 1-2; Simpson, Jesse 0-4; Hauser, Allen 0-1; Cannady, Jalen 0-1; Moore, Adrian 0-2; Dortch-Jones, Eric 0-1), Guilford 7-18 (Matt McCarthy 3-7; Brandon Staves 1-1; Sanders Rohs 1-1; Zachary Houston 1-1; Trever Hyatt 1-6; Hunter Jackson 0-1; Jarrod Rogers 0-1).
Fouled out–NC Wesleyan-Weaver, D.J.; Huff, Shannon, Guilford-Matt McCarthy.
Rebounds–NC Wesleyan 38 (Dortch-Jones, Eric 10), Guilford 45 (Jonny Rice 13).
Assists–NC Wesleyan 16 (Moore, Adrian 4), Guilford 15 (Matt McCarthy 7).
Total fouls–NC Wesleyan 22, Guilford 17.
Technical fouls–NC Wesleyan-None, Guilford-None.
A-175
Nonconference game