LEXINGTON, Va. – Junior
Colin Ryan posted the first triple-double by a Washington and Lee men's basketball player in 55 years, but Piedmont prevailed, 83-78, in overtime in Monday's W&L Holiday Tournament championship game.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
In a game that stayed within a four-point margin over the final 16 minutes of regulation, W&L's (2-8)
A.J. Thomas sank a layup with 1:23 left to get his side back within a point. After Piedmont's (7-4) Fisher Darden went 1-of-2 at the free throw line on the ensuing possession, senior
Thomas Feigin hit his eighth three of the game to put the Generals up one point with 32 seconds left, their first lead since the final seconds of the first half.
On the Lions' final possession of regulation, Javi Marlowe got a jumper to fall while being fouled, and he connected on the free throw to put the visitors back up two points. In the closing seconds, Thomas made a driving layup to force overtime ahead of an off-target heave down the floor from Piedmont.
During the extra period, the Lions scored the first six points across 2:11 of play, concluding with a three from Darden. The Generals fought back with layups from Ryan and first-year
Connor Amorosi, but a Bailey Wiseman step-back three pointer with 1:20 left put the Lions back up by five points with 1:20 left. Ryan then sank a pair a foul shots with just over a minute remaining, but those were the final points for the Blue and White.
The Generals got off to a sizzling start to the game, as each of their first five made baskets came from outside for a 15-3 advantage through five and a half minutes of action. The Lions then chipped away at their deficit with a 9-2 run to get within five points, and they inched two points closer over the next five minutes. Trailing by six points after a three from Feigin with 1:57 left in the opening half, the Lions exploded for a 17-3 run that spanned 4:35 and into the second half to give them an eight-point advantage.
TOP PERFORMERS:
Ryan's triple-double came on 13 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists, with seven of his rebounds coming on the offensive end. Feigin notched the second-best scoring performance of his career, with 26 points on 8-of-20 shooting from long range, plus four rebounds. Amorosi tallied a 16-point, 11-rebound double-double, the first of his collegiate career, with Thomas adding nine points.
Marlowe led the Lions' offense with 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field, plus nine rebounds and a steal. Darden came in next with 18 points (7-11 FG), followed by 14 points from Israel Hall. Dylan Patrick scored 12 points and Wiseman reached 11 to round out the double-digit scorers, as both players made 4-of-11 shots.
NOTEWORTHY POINTS:
Ryan's triple-double was the first for the W&L men's basketball program since Mel Cartwright '70 went for 25 points, 22 rebounds and 10 assists on December 11, 1969, against Hampden-Sydney. It was also the first double-digit assist game for a W&L men's basketball player since November 21, 2021, when Mark Lamendola '22 dished out 10 against Ramapo.
Feigin's eight made threes finished tied for the second most in a game in program history with William Brueggeman '21 (Feb. 19, 2021). Feigin's career high of 11 made threes is the program record. Additionally, Feigin's 20 three-point attempts broke the single-game record of 15 held by Richie Manigault '23 and Bryan Watkins '93.
Following the conclusion of the game, Ryan was named to the W&L Holiday Tournament All-Tournament Team. Patrick and Marlowe represented Piedmont on the All-Tournament Team, with Marlowe earning MVP honors.
TEAM STATS:
W&L shot 36.7 percent (29-79) from the field on Monday and made 13-of-43 three-point shots. The Lions ended the day at 51.7 percent (31-60) for the game, including 50 percent (28-56) in regulation before they made 3-of-4 shots in overtime.
Over half of W&L's total rebounds in the game came on the offensive glass (22-21), with the Lions grabbing 10 of their 40 total rebounds on the offensive end. The Generals held the second-chance points (27-14) and bench points (38-21) advantages in the game, while Piedmont outscored the Blue and White 18-12 off turnovers and 50-28 in the paint.
UP NEXT:
The Generals will be in ODAC play for the remainder of their regular season schedule, starting with a January 4 road trip to Randolph for a 4:30 p.m. opening tip-off.
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.
