GREENSBORO, N.C. – The Washington and Lee men's basketball team held its ground in the final minutes and walked away from Guilford College with a 90-88 win on Saturday afternoon, overcoming a 10-point halftime deficit.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- The Generals' (10-1, 2-0 ODAC) free throw shooting proved clutch over the final five minutes of the game, as eight of their final 10 points came at the foul line, with no attempts missing.
- W&L led by six points with 1:16 to play after a pair of Addison Newkirk free throws, but Guilford's (6-5, 0-2 ODAC) Gabe Proctor scored four points in 12 seconds to cut the Generals' lead down to two.
- After both teams exchanged one turnover apiece, the Quakers got a stop on the defensive end and called a timeout with four seconds remaining. On the final play of regulation, Braylon Salters' potential game-winning three-point shot came up short from the left wing, clinching the win for the Generals.
- The Generals trailed by 10 entering the second quarter, and 12 points with 16:50 remaining. The team then got a Jackson Ransom layup to ignite a 13-2 run over the next three minutes to bring their deficit down to one.
- W&L's next two possessions featured one three each from sophomore Connor Amorosi and first-year Kevin Die' to take a 66-64 lead. Each Guilford score over the next seven minutes was met by an answer from the Generals to stay out in front, heading into the final stretch.
- The Quakers led the game, 15-9, through seven minutes in the opening half, but the Generals stayed competitive to keep within four points with 7:12 left before the half. Both teams then traded 9-0 runs ahead of a 10-2 Guilford run, which helped them build a 52-42 advantage heading into the locker room.
TOP PERFORMERS:
- Amorosi led the way with 23 points, and he made 3-of-7 threes and all eight foul shots. Die' followed with a season-best 22 points on 4-of-8 from outside and 8-of-10 at the foul line. Die' added five rebounds, two assists and two steals, as well.
- Newkirk posted his first career double-double with 17 points and a season-high 15 rebounds. Senior A.J. Thomas rounded out the four Generals in double figures. He totaled 13 points, three rebounds, three assists and a block, and he also made all his foul shots (4-4).
- Senior Colin Ryan stuffed the stat-sheet once again, with nine points, eight rebounds and eight assists. It was Ryan's third straight game with at least seven helpers and his second consecutive game with eight rebounds.
- Salters and Gabe Proctor both scored 19 points for the Quakers, with Proctor adding seven rebounds and three steals. Dawson Edwards came in next with 18 points, and he led GC in rebounding (13).
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Newkirk's dominance on the glass extended beyond his mere totals. Of his 15 rebounds, eight were on the offensive end and, out of those eight offensive rebounds, six helped produce 13 points for the team.
- Saturday's win marked W&L's first against Guilford since a 90-61 decision on February 1, 2020, in Lexington. It was also the first win at Guilford since a 74-69 final on February 16, 2019.
- W&L took 41 free throws in the game, tying their season high, but their 30 makes at the stripe were the most since sinking 33-of-41 against Mary Baldwin on November 15, 2022.
TEAM STATS:
- The Generals finished the game shooting 43.3 percent (26-60) from the field, including 48.9 percent (15-31) in the second half.
- Guilford ended the day at 37.5 percent (27-72) from the field and only made 10-of-36 (.278) shots in the second half after going 17-for-36 (.472) in the first half. That also included a three-point drop off from 7-of-13 (.539) in the first half to 2-of-14 (.143) in the second.
- W&L held the rebounding advantage in the game, 46-42, with the hosts edging the Generals 18-17 in offensive rebounds. W&L, however, outscored the Quakers, 22-19, on second-chance points.
- The Blue and White bench outscored Guilford's, 37-17, while the Quakers held a 20-7 scoring margin in points off turnovers. Fastbreak points favored the visitors, 16-8.
UP NEXT:
The Generals will be back in action on Wednesday night when they host No. 12 Virginia Wesleyan at 7:00 p.m.
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.
