CHARLOTTE, N.C. –
Malcolm Hodges (Richmond, Va./Monacan) recorded his first career double-double with 23 points & 10 rebounds, both career highs, and the Yellow Jacket defense held Elmhurst to two points in the first 9:50 as the Randolph-Macon men's basketball team posted a 71-43 victory on Thursday evening on Day 1 of the Jay Bilas Classic.
Score: Randolph-Macon 71, Elmhurst 43
Venue: Levine Center
Records: Randolph-Macon 5-3, Elmhurst 4-6
How it Happened:
- On the first possession of the game, Keishawn Pulley Jr. (Richmond, Va./St. Christopher's) fed Jabril Robinson (Rockville, Md./South Kent Prep) for a layup to start the scoring for the Yellow Jackets. After the Blue Jays tied it, Hodges had seven points in an 11-0 spurt as RMC took a 13-2 advantage with 11:40 left in the first half. Elmhurst hit three triples in a 13-5 run in cutting the deficit to 18-15 with 5:30 remaining. Amr Areikat (Ramallah, Palestine/Langley) had five points in a 9-0 run as the Yellow Jackets took their largest lead at 27-15 with 2:40 left. The Blue Jays netted four straight points to make it an eight-point game before buckets by Hodges and Robinson pushed the margin back to a dozen at 31-19 with 50 seconds remaining. Elmhurst had a late free throw to make it 31-20 at intermission. Hodges paced the Yellow Jackets with 11 points. RMC had 13 field goals in the first half and 12 came in the paint.
- After the Blue Jays netted the first basket of the second period, Hodges had five points in a 7-0 spurt as the Yellow Jackets pushed the lead to 16 at 38-22 with 17:18 left. Elmhurst trailed 53-39 before Delani Hammonds (Charlotte, N.C./Ardrey Kell) had seven points and Hodges finished an alley-oop dunk from Robinson in an 11-0 run as the lead ballooned to 64-39 with 6:10 remaining. The largest lead was 29 at 71-42 before the Yellow Jackets secured the 71-43 victory.
Inside the Numbers:
- The Yellow Jackets recorded a season-low six turnovers while forcing 14.
- In holding Elmhurst to 43 points, it was the lowest point total for an RMC opponent this season. It was also the lowest total for the Blue Jays this season, with the previous low being 66.
- The Yellow Jackets surpassed the 70-point mark for the seventh time in their first eight games.
- Hodges went 9 for 12 from the floor and 5 for 7 from the free throw line for his 23 points.
- Hammonds scored a career-best 15 points and tied his career high with four rebounds.
- Robinson also tallied double figures with 10 points.
- RMC had advantages of 42-14 on points in the paint, 26-3 on bench points and 14-2 on fast break points.
- The Yellow Jackets held a 43-39 edge on the glass. To go along with the 10 boards by Hodges, Pulley and Ty Showalter (Charlotte, N.C./Butler) both had five, a season high for the freshman Showalter.
- Pulley paced the victors with four assists.
- Hodges and Robinson both registered a pair of steals.
For the Record:
- This was the second time RMC and Elmhurst met in men's basketball. The Yellow Jackets topped the Blue Jays 75-45 in the 2022 NCAA Division III National Championship game in Fort Wayne, Ind.
Up Next:
Randolph-Macon will face No. 11 Wisconsin-Stevens Point on Friday, Dec. 20 at 7:00 p.m. on Day 2 of the Jay Bilas Classic in Charlotte, N.C.
