BRIDGEWATER, Va. (BC Athletics) – Bridgewater College men’s basketball took down conference leading Shenandoah on home court to go on for a 54-49 victory Wednesday night.
The Bridgewater College Eagles (BCE) move to 4-2 overall and 1-0 in the first conference game of the season. The Shenandoah Hornets (SUH) drop to 6-1 overall and 0-1 in the ODAC.
How It Happened
After a more promising result coming out of the Carlyle Whitelow Classic with a pair of victories, the Eagles came ready to start out the first ODAC matchup of the season against Shenandoah on home court.
Through much of the first half, the Crimson & Gold held control of pace and play. BCE splashed threes from the corners and forced the Hornets to take tough shots in the paint. With 5:30 to go in the first 20 minutes, the Eagles continued to press on with an aggressive offensive strategy drawing fouls and slipping through the defense for open looks. Bradley Owens nailed shots from the corner while Mason Ramey tore through to slice through the paint for lay-ins.
The first half went to the Eagles as they stood ahead of the undefeated Hornets at 24-18.
In the second half, BCE opened with a confident showing hanging with a lead within close margins of the fighting Hornets. SUH came ready to battle for the lead with a 6-0 scoring run. Jahmir Brown evened it up with a momentum-filled and-one finish. Maleek Richardson then capitalized with a reverse layup to keep it at 38 apiece.
Momentum soon shifted from team to team with an unsteady lead at hand with 7:30 left in regulation. The Hornets pulled ahead slowly with a four-point advantage at 49-45 with three minutes remaining.
However, the game was not over. The Eagles came back with force, pushing ahead as Kyren Smith ran a fast break to full execution, taking the lead right back at 50-49. Javon Jenkins then helped seal the game with a strong take to the basket for two points and then capped off the sequence with a steal to close out the game with a big win over the ODAC rival, Shenandoah, 54-49 for the final score.
Game Notes
• Bradley Owens led the game as the high scorer with 12 points.
• There were seven lead changes in the contest.
• The Eagles shared the ball more efficiently with 12 dishes to Shenandoah’s seven.
Up Next
The Eagles are back in action on Saturday, Dec. 6 to face ODAC opponent Lynchburg on the road at 2 p.m. and then will be a part of the Medgar Evers Classic on Dec. 28-29 in Brooklyn, N.Y.
— BC Athletics —
