Men's Basketball Release (03-04) - VWC Win - Guilford College

Game Statistics

NORFOLK/VIRGINIA BEACH, VA (01/31/04) - Senior Ron Bradford nailed two key three-pointers in the five final minutes of competition to help maintain the lead for the Guilford College Quakers, who posted a stunning 79-75 road victory at Virginia Wesleyan College on Saturday.

Bradford, a senior off the bench, enjoyed one of his best afternoons of the season, hitting 3-of-4 triples overall en route to scoring nine points in a balanced Guilford offense. His effort from the field was part of an impressive second half of shooting by the Quakers, who opened the door to the win by nailing 62 percent from the field. The host Marlins hit 43 percent in the half.

Devon Clyburn was also a factor in the win, canning 5-of-6 pressure-paced free throws in the final minute, while Thomas Swindell added 1-of-2 in the same stretch for the Quakers, who entered the game as ranked No. 10 in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference in free throw shooting accuracy. On Saturday, the Quakers used the lines to help their cause, knocking down 12-of-13 overall.

The victory keeps Guilford as one of the hottest teams in the ODAC, with five straight victories and nine in the last 11 games. Guilford's five-game winning streak matches the team's longest since 1992. The Quakers improve to 11-7 overall, their best record since 1982-83, all under the direction of first-year head coach Tom Palombo, a Virginia Wesleyan graduate. More importantly, the Quakers replace the Marlins as the current No. 3 team in the ODAC. While Guilford improves to 7-4 in the loop, Virginia Wesleyan falls to 7-5 and to 14-5 overall.

It was an back-and-forth game from the start, marked by 14 lead changes and seven ties. Virginia Wesleyan led by as many as 10 points in the first half, before Guilford rallied. The Marlins led 40-36 at halftime.

VWC extended its lead to six at the start of the second half, only to see Guilford spark a 16-5 scoring run that put the Quakers in front 52-47 with 12:59 remaining to be played. Virginia Wesleyan regained the lead at 53-52 on a layup by senior Justin Blazer with 11:23 on the clock, but Swindell answered at the the other end with a jumper for the Quakers, who held the lead to the end.

First-year Marlin Brandon Adair led all scoring with 18 points, hitting 7-of-12 from the field. Senior David Doino added 16 points, junior Peter Warren 14, and Blazer 11. Swindell paced Guilford with 16 points, followed by 14 from Jevon Clarke, 11 from Clyburn, and 10 from Genaro Lawhorn.

- Va. Wesleyan Sports Information