BRIDGEWATER, Va. – Marcus Curry (Greensboro, N.C./Northwest Guilford (Bridgewater)) scored 10 points to help Guilford College rally past Bridgewater College Saturday in both team’s regular-season finale.
The Quakers’ win, coupled with Randolph-Macon College’s 84-74 loss to Lynchburg College Saturday, moved Guilford into a share of first place in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference’s (ODAC) regular-season standings. The Quakers (20-5, 13-3 ODAC) earned the top seed in the upcoming ODAC Tournament by virtue of its 67-53 win over the Yellow Jackets in the teams’ lone meeting February 11.
Curry, who played for Bridgewater as a freshman in 2014-15, made five-of-seven shots from the floor in his first game back at Nininger Hall. The 6-4 sophomore forward also had five rebounds and two assists in his most extensive playing time (18 minutes) since returning to the lineup a week ago. He missed the prior eight games with an injury.
Bridgewater (6-19, 3-13 ODAC) led, 37-32, with 15 minutes left in regulation on Kenneth Turner’s layup, but the Quakers scored the next eight points to take a 40-37 lead. The Eagles twice tied the game and got to within 52-51 with 3:55 left, but Guilford held the hosts off. Zachary Houston’s only field goal of the game, a clutch three-pointer with 1:43 remaining, came with seconds left on the shot clock and opened a 57-51 lead.
Houston later made two free throws as he and teammate Jarrod Rogers (Archdale, N.C./Trinity) combined to make six-of-nine from the foul line in the final 35 seconds.
Houston also collected a game-high eight rebounds, which helped the Quakers hold a 37-28 caroms edge. Guilford had 14 offensive boards, which led to 21 second-chance points. Bridgewater’s six offensive rebounds resulted in only three points. Guilford’s Jaylen Gore (Greensboro, N.C./Northwest Guilford) and Dominique Henderson scored nine points apiece and teammate Carson Long added eight.
Bridgewater’s Turner and Efe Balfour led all scorers with 13 points apiece. Paul Brown chipped in 11 points off the bench. Bryce Boggs had four points, four rebounds and five assists.
Guilford, ranked first in this week’s NCAA Division III South Region Poll, reached the 20-win plateau for the 14th time in school history and the first time since 2010. The Quakers last earned the ODAC Tournament’s top seed in 2009 and begin play in this year’s tourney February 24 at 1:00 p.m. versus the winner of Monday’s (2/20) game between Shenandoah University and Hampden-Sydney College. The tournament’s quarterfinals, semifinals and finals will be played in the Salem (Virginia) Civic Center.
Box Score follows photos by Andy Gore.
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Guilford vs Bridgewater (Va.)
02/18/17 4:30 pm at Bridgewater, VA – Nininger Hall
At Bridgewater, VA – Nininger Hall
GUILFORD 63, BRIDGEWATER (VA.) 57
GUILFORD (20-5, 13-3 ODAC): CURRY, Marcus 5-7 0-3 10; GORE, Jaylen 4-7 1-2 9; HENDERSON, Dominique 3-6 2-5 9; LONG, Carson 2-6 4-4 8; THOMPSON, Alston 3-8 1-1 7; GREGORY, Kyler 2-4 3-4 7; ROGERS, Jarrod 1-7 4-8 6; HOUSTON, Zachary 1-3 2-2 5; STEPHENS, PJ 1-1 0-0 2; REYER, Mason 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 22-50 17-29 63.
BRIDGEWATER (VA.) (6-19, 3-13 ODAC): BALFOUR, Efe 6-9 1-2 13; TURNER, Kenneth 5-7 0-0 13; BROWN, Paul 4-6 2-3 11; SAYLOR, Kevin 2-8 0-0 4; DENNIS, Keonte 1-5 2-2 4; BOGGS, Bryce 1-6 2-2 4; DOUGAN, Tim 1-1 0-0 3; GRIER, Davrion 1-2 0-0 3; BAUMGARTNER, Phil 1-2 0-0 2; THOMPSON, Essex 0-3 0-0 0; KOPP, Zach 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 22-49 7-9 57.
Guilford...................... 22 41 - 63 Bridgewater (Va.)............. 23 34 - 57
3-point goals–Guilford 2-7 (HOUSTON, Zachary 1-2; HENDERSON, Dominique 1-1; LONG, Carson 0-2; REYER, Mason 0-1; GORE, Jaylen 0-1), Bridgewater (Va.) 6-20 (TURNER, Kenneth 3-5; BROWN, Paul 1-1; DOUGAN, Tim 1-1; GRIER, Davrion 1-1; BAUMGARTNER, Phil 0-1; THOMPSON, Essex 0-2; DENNIS, Keonte 0-4; SAYLOR, Kevin 0-5).
Fouled out–Guilford-None, Bridgewater (Va.)-None.
Rebounds–Guilford 37 (HOUSTON, Zachary 8), Bridgewater (Va.) 28 (DENNIS, Keonte 6).
Assists–Guilford 6 (CURRY, Marcus 2; HOUSTON, Zachary 2), Bridgewater (Va.) 9 (BOGGS, Bryce 5).
Total fouls–Guilford 14, Bridgewater (Va.) 20.
Technical fouls–Guilford-None, Bridgewater (Va.)-Team.
A-459
Old Dominion Athletic Conference game