HAMPDEN-SYDNEY, VA (February 11, 2009)�Tiger fans knew that Roanoke College would make a push in the second half. But just when H-SC faithful braced for the apparent inevitable, Lane Medlin (West Point, VA/Fork Union) and Ben Jessee (Midlothian, VA/Cosby) came to the rescue.
After succumbing to a 12-0 Roanoke run midway through the second half that completely decimated the Tigers' 12-point advantage, Medlin and Jessee keyed a pivotal 13-4 spurt that turned a 43-43 deadlock at the 7:03 mark into a comfortable 56-47 edge with 1:58 to play, as Hampden-Sydney held on to score an impressive 67-63 win over the rival Maroons.
Medlin, who scored 11 timely points on the evening, dealt the first blows, converting on a three-point play that allowed Hampden-Sydney to reclaim the lead at 46-43 after Roanoke's Curtis Peery had tied the score with a three-point play of his own second earlier.
The Tigers forced a turnover on the Maroons' ensuing possession and Medlin struck again, canning a triple from the top of the key to push the Hampden-Sydney advantage to six, 49-43 with 5:26 remaining.
When Roanoke (16-6, 8-5 ODAC) snuck back within 50-47, Jessee closed the door, converting a layup and jumper to extend the Tiger lead to 54-47 at the 2:31 mark. Roanoke never came closer than five points the rest of the way.
The Maroons outrebounded Hampden-Sydney 50-31 for the game, corralling 17 offensive rebounds, but the Tigers' defensive presence proved too much.
Hampden-Sydney (11-12, 6-8 ODAC) held Roanoke to 37.5 percent shooting from the floor and just 15.8 percent (3-for-19) from beyond-the-arc. 16 turnovers also proved costly for Roanoke, which dropped its fifth game in its last seven outings after beginning the season 14-1.
On a night when leading scorer Turner King (Roanoke, VA/Roanoke Catholic) was mostly quiet, several other Tigers picked up the slack. King was one of four players in double figures for Hampden-Sydney, scoring 11 points, but Jessee (16 points), Medlin (11) and Karlis Trops (Riga, Latvia/Charlotte Latin) (10) provided enough offensive firepower to keep Hampden-Sydney afloat.
Trops ignited the troops with a skillful performance in the early going, scoring nine of his points in the first half on a variety of shots; a left-handed runner, a step-back mid-range jumper and an and-one lay-in that fueled an 18-9 Hampden-Sydney run to open the game.
After trailing by as much as ten points, 33-23, in the opening frame, Roanoke battled back and closed the half on a mini 4-0 run to make the score 33-27 at the break. Hampden-Sydney shot 53.8 percent in the first half while forcing eight Maroons' giveaways.
Shane Payne (Weston, FL) dominated the boards once again, recording his second straight contest of double-digit rebounds. The sophomore snared 11 rebounds to go along with his eight points and concluded the Tigers' scoring with a two-handed flush with 15 seconds remaining.
A 3-for-21 night from three-point range for Hampden-Sydney was offset by tremendous efficiency from inside the arc; the Tigers connected on 22-of-34 attempts from two with an aggressive offensive mentality and plenty of points off turnovers.
Peery led the Maroons with a game-high 17 points while coming one rebound short of a double-double. Parrish Walker chipped in with 16 points and was the only other Roanoke player to notch more than six tallies.
Hampden-Sydney will enjoy a week of rest before returning to the hardwood on Wednesday, February 18 when it welcomes arch-rival Randolph-Macon to S. Douglas Fleet Gymnasium for a 7:00 pm tip-off. Tickets are available in the Hampden-Sydney athletics office and are $5 for adults and $3 for school-aged children.
