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Jessee nets 23, Medlin posts double-double as Tigers snag No. 6 seed VIRGINIA BEACH, VA (January 17, 2008)—Tigers' freshman Ben Jessee (Midlothian, VA/Cosby) certainly is not afraid to take the big shot. On Saturday afternoon in Virginia Beach, it was that extreme confidence that lit the way for a huge Hampden-Sydney victory. Jessee scorched the Batten Center nets for a game and career-high 23 points to lead Hampden-Sydney to a critical 72-62 win over Virginia Wesleyan. The victory secured the sixth seed for the Tigers in the upcoming Old Dominion Athletic Conference Tournament, and means that Hampden-Sydney (12-13, 7-9 ODAC) will host 11th-seeded Lynchburg College at S. Douglas Fleet Gymnasium next Tuesday, February 24. But the Tigers may have never won their third game in their last four outings had it not been for Jessee's hot hand. The Marlins simply had no answer for the first-year guard out of Cosby High School, as Jessee notched 15 of his tallies during a second stanza that witnessed Hampden-Sydney outscore the Marlins 40-25. He hit 5-of-9 from beyond the arc for the game. His three-pointer with 6:11 remaining gave Hampden-Sydney its first lead since the 16:39 mark of the first half and capped a mini 11-4 run that put the Tigers ahead 59-58. Virginia Wesleyan's Paul Meredith answered immediately with a triple of his own and Stephen Fields followed by making one of two at the charity stripe to help the Marlins recapture a 62-59 edge with 5:12 to play, but that would be the last time Virginia Wesleyan would score. Lane Medlin (West Point, VA/Fork Union) put Hampden-Sydney back in front at 63-62 with a pair of foul shots before Jessee nailed a duo of his own from the line to stake the Tigers a 65-62 lead at the 2:55 mark. From that point on, Virginia Wesleyan misfired on two free throws and all five of its shot attempts while Medlin calmly sank 4-for-4 from the foul line to help Hampden-Sydney to the 72-62 final margin. Hampden-Sydney had to rally early to prevent a road rout. A Medlin jumper gave Hampden-Sydney a 6-3 lead with 17:11 remaining in the first half, but the Marlins turned up the pressure on both ends, partaking on an 18-5 run over the next 7:25 that put the Tigers in a dangerous 21-11 hole. But a quick 8-0 spurt, sparked by five straight points from Jessee, got Hampden-Sydney back into the ball game and within two, 21-19, at the 6:47 mark. The Tigers trailed 37-32 at the break, but it may have been more if not for the play of Medlin, who finished with a career-high 19 points and 11 rebounds. The 6-foot-6 forward scored nine points and pulled down six rebounds in the opening frame. Turner King (Roanoke, VA/Roanoke Catholic) chipped in 14 points and eight rebounds for the Tigers and Karlis Trops (Riga, Latvia/Charlotte Latin) recorded nine points and four rebounds. Hampden-Sydney shot 46 percent for the game and outrebounded the smaller Marlins 37-33. Virginia Wesleyan (13-12, 7-9 ODAC) was paced by freshman forward Quinton McDuffie, who registered 17 points and four rebounds. Fields added 11 points and six assists for the Marlins, who will be seeded seventh in next week's conference tournament. www.hsc.edu/athletics |
