TOP-RANKED TIGERS ROLL GUILFORD, 103-69
Greensboro, NC -- Senior guard T.J. Grimes (Onancock, VA/Nandua) led Hampden-Sydney's five starters in double-figures with 26 points as visiting Hampden-Sydney scored a 103-69 Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) men's basketball win at Guilford Thursday night. The victory improved the nation's top-ranked Division III men's team to a perfect 11-0 (5-0 ODAC) on the year. The Tigers rank first in this week's D3hoops.com Top 25 Poll and first in the Columbus Multimedia Team Efficiency Ratings.
Grimes made nine of 13 shots from the floor, including five three pointers, and also added game highs of six assists, two blocks and three steals in 24 minutes. His fifth three-pointer of the game with 6:01 left marked the school-record 235th trifecta of his career, one better than Ryan Odom's '96 234 threes.
Hampden-Sydney held a 44-35 halftime lead and shot a blistering 67.7 percent from the floor in the second half to break the game open. Guilford trailed 50-41 with 18:42 left before the Tigers scored 10 of the next 11 points to take a 17-point lead (59-42) less than three minutes later. A decisive 23-6 run midway through the second half ballooned the guests' advantage to 84-52 with eight minutes remaining and effectively put the game away. The Tigers allowed just three field goals in the game's final 11:23, including a jumper by Guilford's leading scorer, junior Todd Ashworth (High Point, NC/Southwest Guilford), as time expired.
Senior Chris Fox (Hampton, VA/Hampton) added 16 points and six assists for the Tigers, while junior Brett Thompson (Charlotte, NC/Charlotte Latin) contributed 12 points, a team-high five boards and six helpers. Hampden-Sydney shot 58.5 percent from the floor and made 14 steals.
Guilford's Ashworth recorded his second straight double with 13 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. Sophomore forward Brad Woolley (Chapel Hill, NC/East Chapel Hill) added 11 points off the bench.
The loss spoiled Guilford head coach Butch Estes' 51st birthday. In addition to losing the battle to fellow High Point Central High School and UNC Chapel Hill alum Tony Shaver, Estes picked up two second-half technical fouls and earned his first ejection as Guilford's coach.
The Quakers look to snap their two-game losing skid at league-rival Virginia Wesleyan Saturday afternoon at 4:00, while the Tigers have six days off before visiting Virginia Wesleyan Wednesday at 7:00.
