All five starters reached double figures as the 19th ranked University of Mary Washington men's basketball team topped Southern Virginia University, 103-97, on Wednesday night in Buena Vista, Va. The Eagles improve to 19-5 on the season.
In a first half that saw 29 fouls called, neither team could pull away from the other, as the Knights shot 50% from the floor (13-26), while the Eagles shot 13-36 from the field, but did hold a 27-14 rebounding advantage, with 11 offensive boards.
Trailing by two at halftime, the Eagles came out strong offensively in the second half, shooting 69% from the field (20-29). The Eagles fell behind by as many as seven in the second half, at 55-48 with 17:51 remaining. From there, the Eagles went on a 9-0 run, with senior Dajon Daniel starting the rally with a pair of layups, and Bradley Riester capping the run with a three pointer.
With the Eagles trailing, 60-59, with 15:24 left, senior Dylan Farinet hit a pair of three pointers to put UMW ahead for good with a 65-60 advantage. The Knights hit several shots to cut the deficit to a single possession, but each time the Eagles answered, as UMW built the lead to 12 at 98-86 with 1:23 to play. UMW connected on seven of eight free throws down the stretch for the 103-97 win.
"We couldn't get into a rhythym defensively in the first half because of all the fouls", said UMW head coach Rod Wood. "In the second half, we just stayed with it and got in synch, and also shot the ball very well."
Daniel led the Eagles with 26 points on 10-11 shooting from the floor, while Riester scored 25and grabbed six rebounds. Farinet scored 16 points, Taylor Johnson scored 15, and Dom Morra 11 for UMW. Kenny Hart led Southern Virginia with 32 points.
For the game, UMW shot 50.8% from the floor (33-65), making 8-26 three pointers and going 29-42 from the free throw line. Southern Virginia shot 57.1% from the field (32-56), making 14-28 three pointers, and shooting 19-30 from the line. The Eagles led in rebounds, 43-29, and forced 17 Knight turnovers while committing 13.
The Eagles will close the regular season on Saturday at Penn State Harrisburg at 3:00 p.m.