ASHLAND, Va. (BC Athletics) – Bridgewater College men’s basketball falls to No. 5 nationally ranked Randolph-Macon on the road Wednesday night, 103-57. Bridgewater College Eagles (BCE) have dropped to 6-8 overall and 2-3 in ODAC play, and the Randolph-Macon College Yellow Jackets (RMC) have improved to 13-1 overall and 4-1 in ODAC action.

How It Happened
In a road game against a nationally ranked matchup in ODAC play, there were already challenging obstacles to overcome, and the Eagles hit those struggles head on in the first 20 minutes. The turnovers came in bunches for BCE, allowing the Yellow Jackets to pounce on transition buckets and efficient scoring opportunities. While the Eagles lost the ball, the Yellow Jackets kept it only turning the ball over once in the entire first half.

Halfway through, RMC hit stride and jumped out to a strong lead, emerging into a forceful offense. The Eagles kept close with just a five-point deficit, but the Yellow Jackets quickly took commanding control. In just two minutes after the 10-minute mark, RMC poured more on, pushing ahead to a 13-point lead off a 6-0 scoring run.

The Eagles could not shake the Yellow Jackets, and offensive plays seemed to break against a rigid defensive formation. With four minutes to go in the half, RMC held on despite second-chance looks for BCE. At the half, RMC held a 40-20 advantage.

Even with added hustle plays and drained shots, the Yellow Jackets did not slow down. In the final 20 minutes, the Eagles continued to struggle to find an answer to closing out offensive sets. More turnovers came, and RMC executed on the open floor. In the minutes shortly following, the Yellow Jackets worked to a commanding 12-0 scoring run to maintain a sizeable lead to set the rest of the half up with dominating pressure.
RMC ran away with the commanding attack, to finish out with a final score, 103-47.

Game Notes
• Bridgewater struggled offensively with a 32.6% field goal percentage and 18 turnovers.
• RMC found ways to execute the errant plays while finding lanes inside the paint with 44 points from close range.
• BCE pushed the ball ahead quickly for a result of 12 fastbreak points to RMC’s 11.

Up Next
The Eagles are back in action on Saturday, Jan. 17 at home against ODAC rival Guilford for a 2 p.m. tip.

— BC Athletics —