STAUNTON, Va. – Playing in its second game in as many days, the Washington and Lee men's basketball team defeated Mary Baldwin on Wednesday by a final score of 86-78 in non-conference action.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Heading into the second half with a 46-35 lead, the Generals (3-1) held the Fighting Squirrels (1-1) off the board for the first two and a half minutes, while getting a layup from senior
Robert DiSibio and a three from sophomore
Colin Ryan, to boost their lead to 16 points. Once a Jaden Ignacio triple fell, Mary Baldwin used a 17-7 run to pull back to trailing by a 58-52 score with just under 13 minutes remaining.
The Generals responded quickly and effectively with a 12-0 run, kickstarted by a three pointer from sophomore
John Loughlin, in a span of just 1:40 to regain an 18-point advantage. Mary Baldwin clawed its way back to a six-point deficit with a 26-14 run that spanned nearly 11 minutes, but W&L's lead proved insurmountable as a pair of
Jack d'Entremont free throws with six seconds left wrapped things up.
Both sides battled hard in the first half, but W&L gradually pulled away in the opening stanza with a 27-13 run that featured no longer than a 7-0 run. That stretch had the Generals ahead, 29-21, with eight minutes before the half, ahead of W&L answering each MBU bucket. The Fighting Squirrels did not score on consecutive possession over the final eight minutes of the half, as the Generals claimed their 11-point halftime lead.
TOP PERFORMERS:
DiSibio scored a game-high 26 points and added 11 rebounds to post a double-double, while d'Entremont scored 24 points on an efficient 9-of-16 shooting from the field, to go along with eight rebounds. First-year
Parker Neuenhaus contributed 12 points (5-9 FG) and eight rebounds, and Ryan secured eight boards as well.
The Squirrels got four players in double figures on Wednesday, led by Quentin Hart who tallied 21 points on 7-of-12 shooting, all from deep. Logan Barbour notched 12 points, Brett Asbury scored 11 and Vernon Fraley rounded out the group with 10 points and six rebounds.
NOTEWORTHY POINTS:
d'Entremont's 24 points on Wednesday night put him at a round number of 750 career points in 58 games over the last four seasons. d'Entremont is currently averaging 18.3 points per game on the young season, roughly 4.5 points per game more than his previous single-season career high (13.9 in 2021-22).
DiSibio increased his career point total to 1,193 with his 26 points, which moved him past Mike Holton '91 for 21st on the program's all-time scoring list. DiSibio can tie Steve Hancock '88 for 20th with 22 more points.
TEAM STATS:
W&L shot 41.9 percent (31-74) from the floor and connected on 9-of-24 (.375) three-point shots and 15-of-17 (.882) foul shots. The Fighting Squirrels finished close to the Generals in both field goal percentage (.403) and three-point percentage (.390), but only made 8-of-13 (.615) free throws. Mary Baldwin held the game advantages in points off turnovers (15-13) and bench points (34-20), but W&L outscored the home side, 13-5, in second-chance points and dominated in the paint at a 44-14 edge.
UP NEXT:
Wednesday's game wrapped up a four-game road slate to begin the 2023-24 season for the Generals, as the team plays in its home opener on Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. against nearby Southern Virginia.
Nestled in the mountains of Virginia, Washington and Lee University is a proud member of NCAA Division III and the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. Founded in 1749, W&L is the ninth-oldest college in the United States and a top-ranked liberal arts university. With over 500 student-athletes in 24 varsity sports, the Generals have celebrated over 265 conference championships. Learn more about the Blue and White by visiting www.generalssports.com or on social media at @WLUGenerals.
