GUILFORD MEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM RETURNS TO ODAC HOOPS TOURNEY

Greensboro, NC -- Guilford College makes its first appearance in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Men's Basketball Tournament since 1995 this Saturday (2/17) when it takes on third-seeded Randolph-Macon at 8:00 P.M. in the Salem (VA) Civic Center. The Quakers earned the eight-team tourney's sixth seed by virtue of its 9-9 league mark, its most ODAC wins since joining the conference in 1991. The winner of the tournament receives the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament.

Senior forward Todd Ashworth (High Point, NC/Southwest Guilford) leads Guilford in scoring (12.1 ppg.) and rebounds (6.6 rpg.) in what has been by far his best season as a Quaker. Guilford is also led by four-year starting point guard Jaron Randall (Trenton, NJ/Princeton Day), who leads the team in assists (56) and is second on the team in steals (29).

Guilford is 0-2 against the Yellow Jackets this season, losing 94-64 in Ashland, VA, January 6, and falling, 67-56, in Greensboro January 29. Randolph-Macon used strong outside shooting to distance itself from the Quakers in both wins.

In other tournament games, top-seeded Roanoke, the defending tournament champion, faces eighth-seeded Lynchburg. Second-seeded Hampden-Sydney plays number-seven Eastern Mennonite, and Bridgewater meets Virginia Wesleyan in the 4-5 game.

Quarterfinals: Saturday, February 17

GAME 1: #1 Roanoke (19-5, 14-4 ODAC) vs. #8 Lynchburg (4-20, 4-14 ODAC), 12:30 P.M.

GAME 2: #4 Bridgewater (18-6, 12-6 ODAC) vs. #5 Virginia Wesleyan (16-8, 11-7 ODAC), 2:30 P.M.

GAME 3: #2 Hampden-Sydney (20-4, 14-4 ODAC) vs. #7 Eastern Mennonite (9-15, 7-11 ODAC), 6:00 P.M.

GAME 4: #3 Randolph-Macon (15-9, 12-6 ODAC) vs. #6 Guilford (10-14, 9-9 ODAC), 8:00 P.M.

Semifinals: Sunday, February 18

GAME 5: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2, 2:00 P.M.

GAME 6: Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4, 4:00 P.M.

Final: Monday, February 19