--- CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS --- #4 Emory & Henry Men’s Basketball Wins First ODAC Title, 72-70, Over #2 Roanoke

E&H Men's Basketball poses with trophy.
-photo courtesy of Keith Lucas

SALEM, Va. – The #4 Emory & Henry Men's Basketball Team (22-6) made history Sunday afternoon, winning its first-ever Old Dominion Athletic Conference Championship by a 72-70 score over second-seeded Roanoke College (20-8).

With the victory, the Wasps earn the ODAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament and will make their first appearance on the national stage since 1993 when they reached the Sweet 16.

The Basics
FINAL SCORE
– #4 Emory & Henry 72, #2 Roanoke 70
LOCATION – Salem, Virginia
VENUE – Salem Civic Center
RECORDS – Emory & Henry (22-6, 11-5 ODAC); Roanoke (20-8, 11-5 ODAC)

How It Happened
- Emory & Henry jumped out to a 14-4 lead at the 16:33 mark of the first half and ran the advantage to 12 (18-6) on back-to-back buckets by senior guard John Shelor (Giles, Va.). RC went on a 10-0 run to close the gap to 18-16 midway through the half.
- The Wasps rebuilt their lead, 38-27, capped by a three by Shelor, but the Maroons closed the half on a 13-0 run to lead 40-38 at the break.
- Roanoke scored six of the first eight points of the second half to lead 46-40, its biggest advantage of the game. E&H responded with a 24-7 run to retake momentum, 66-55, but RC answered with a 13-2 scoring spurt to lead 70-68 with 49 seconds to play.
- Emory & Henry got the go-ahead basket on a three-pointer from the left wing by sophomore guard Colin Molden (Apex, N.C.) with 27 seconds on the clock. A missed attempt from close range by Roanoke's Josh Freund with eight ticks left put the Wasps on the free throw line.
- Freund had a last-second attempt to steal the victory, but his 35-footer caromed off the iron to give the Wasps their first-ever ODAC title, 72-70.

Emory & Henry Individual Leaders
- Senior forward Chase Branscomb (Bristol, Tenn.) put up a game-high 29 points on 11-for-17 shooting including four three-pointers and added six rebounds while Shelor added 24 points, two rebounds, two assists and two steals.
- Molden chipped in eight points, seven assists, three rebounds and three steals while junior forward Alic Wynn (Asheville, N.C.) led all players with 14 rebounds.

Roanoke Individual Leaders
- Josh Freund notched a double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds while Jorden Davis had 19 points, four rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocked shots.
- C.J. Miles went for 10 points and seven rebounds while Colton Reed scored 10 points off the bench.

 A Deeper Look
- Emory & Henry shot 45.8 percent (27-for-59) from the field with 11 three-pointers and connected on 7-of-9 (77.8%) of its free throws.
- Roanoke hit 26-of-58 (44.8%) of its shots, making five triples. The Maroons were 81.3 percent (13-for-16) from the charity stripe.
- RC held 34-31 rebounding advantage and outscored E&H, 28-6, in the paint.
- The Wasps held a 15-14 lead on points off turnovers, but the biggest factor in the win was their effectiveness from long range.

All-Tournament
- Bransomb was named the Most Oustanding Player for the weekend.
- He was joined on the team by fellow Wasps Shelor and Wynn.
- Roanoke's selections consisted of Freund and Miles.

Up Next
- Emory & Henry, will await the announcement of the 64-team NCAA Tournament field on Monday.
- The NCAA selection show will be streamed live on NCAA.com at 12:30 p.m.

---E&H---