BRIDGEWATER, Va. – The Bridgewater College men's basketball team fell to Roanoke in a tight battle 73-72.

THE BASICS
Final Score: Roanoke 73; Bridgewater 72
Records: Bridgewater 15-8 (8-6 ODAC); Roanoke 15-8 (8-6 ODAC)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• BC opened the game with a 5-0 run on the back of a Jordan Cooper layup and a Keiman Dillon three-pointer. Roanoke replied with five-straight points to even the game, but Aaron Oates finished at the rim to give the Eagles the lead back at 7-5. The Maroons responded with six points to take an 11-7 lead before BC wrestled the lead back with a 7-0 run of its own as another Oates make put the Eagles in front 14-11 with 8:16 to go in the half.
• The two teams traded buckets before Alec Topper finished at the cup to slide ahead 18-14. Roanoke closed back in to a two-point deficit, but a Landon Hawes long ball pushed the lead to five with three minutes on the clock. Roanoke tied things up at the break with five-straight points to make it 23-23.
• Roanoke took the lead out of the break with a make, but Cooper drained a three-pointer to wrestle the lead back. Roanoke surged ahead with six -straight points and yet again BC replied with a long ball to stop the Roanoke momentum. Cooper finished at the cup to knot the game back at 31-31. Each side traded the lead for nearly five minutes until RC put together multiple scores to stretch the lead to 48-42 nearing the midway point of the half.
• The Eagles stopped the Maroons' momentum to close back to within three as Khalil Ward drained one from long range. Roanoke replied with a three of its own and pushed the lead out to double digits at 57-47. Cooper responded for BC as he finished at the cup to start 6-0 run to make it 57-53 with under seven minutes to play. BC closed the lead down to two as Topper drained a three-pointer. Each side traded makes before Roanoke stretched the lead to five at 65-60 with under four minutes to play. BC had an answer as Hawes connected on a three-pointer, but Roanoke had their own responses to maintain the lead. Cooper drained a three-pointer with 28 seconds left to make it 72-70 and BC was forced to foul. Roanoke made one of the two shots and BC drove down the floor. The Eagles missed multiple looks but got an offensive rebound before BC called a timeout. With four seconds left Topper inbounded the ball to Cooper. The entire Roanoke defense shifted leaving Cooper open and he just missed the three-pointer. Topper tipped the rebound back in at the buzzer but the dame=age was done.

MATCH NOTES

• Oates and Cooper tied for the team lead in points for the third-straight game with 19 points.
• Zach Rosenthal led Roanoke with 20 points and Justin Kuthan added 12 to go along with 10 rebounds.
• Topper tallied another double-double with 16 points and his second consecutive 15 rebound effort.  
• The difference came at the free-throw line where Roanoke shot the ball 31 times compared to just nine attempts for BC.

UP NEXT
Bridgewater hits the road for the final two games of the season as it battles Ferrum at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday.