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Men’s basketball: Bridgewater osing streak at four

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bridgewater eaglesRandolph-Macon opened up a 12-point lead in the first seven minutes Saturday and the Yellow Jackets led the rest of the way in a 77-53 ODAC victory over Bridgewater College.

Michael Taylor knocked down a 3-pointer on Randolph-Macon’s first possession of the game and, following an Eagles’ turnover, Taylor scored from in close to make the score 5-0.

Bryce Boggs hit a 15-footer for the Eagles, but the Yellow Jackets scored the next seven points to take a double-digit lead. Taylor scored again from inside and Daniel Noe hit two free throws, making the score 9-2. Jamie Wilson then hit from beyond the arc, putting the Yellow Jackets on top 12-2 with 15:39 remaining in the first half.

Bridgewater’s Kevin Saylor hit from 3-point range before layups by Montese Adams and Jermaine Johnson gave Macon a 16-5 advantage. After two foul shots by BC’s Romello Crowell, Adams drained a 3-ball to push the visitor’s lead to 19-7 with 13:34 on the clock.

Trailing by 13 points, 22-9, the Eagles used a 7-0 run to pull within six. Davrion Grier hit a short jumper and Essex Thompson scored on a driving layup to trim the deficit to single digits. Saylor then knocked down another 3-pointer to pull the Eagles to within six, 22-16, with 7:47 left in the half.

Randolph-Macon (8-5, 4-0 in the ODAC) then responded with a quick 8-0 spurt to stretch its lead to 30-16 with 3:33 left in the half.

A 3-pointer by Jesse Case and two free throws by Efe Balfour inched the Eagles closer at 31-23 with 1:41 left in the half, but a three-point play by Korey Turner and a layup by Darryl Williams just before the buzzer sent the Yellow Jackets to the break with a 36-23 advantage.

Balfour opened the second half with a layup to pull the Eagles to within 11 points, but the Yellow Jackets broke the game open with a 12-0 spurt to take a 48-25 lead with 15:53 left in the game.

Saylor made 6-of-11 shots, including 5-of-9 from 3-point range, to lead the Eagles with 17 points. Balfour also reached double figures with 10 points. Boggs, Bridgewater’s leading scorer on the season, was held to just two points.

Taylor paced the winners with 21 points and Adams added 13.

The Yellow Jackets held a slim 29-26 edge on the boards, but the visitors owned the paint, outscoring Bridgewater 40-20 from in close. Ten of Randolph-Macon’s rebounds came at the offensive end and led to 14 second-chance points.

Turnovers plagued the Eagles as they turned the ball over 20 times compared to just 12 miscues by the Yellow Jackets. Randolph-Macon scored 21 points off Bridgewater’s 20 turnovers.

Bridgewater (5-8, 2-2 in the ODAC) returns to action Wednesday evening when the Eagles host Shenandoah University at 7:00 p.m.

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