GC completes brilliant underdog playoff run to secure NCAA Tournament bid.
Storming the floor as the clock it hit 0:00 inside the Salem Civic Center, the Guilford College men's basketball team (22-6, 12-4 ODAC) fulfilled their quest and an Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) run for the ages, rising from the fifth-seed to claim their fifth conference crown, outlasting third-seeded Roanoke College (23-5, 14-2 ODAC), 79-74 in the ODAC Finals contest on Sunday afternoon.
The Quakers take home their fifth title, and first since 2019, with the victory, and more importantly see their season continue as they secure the leagues automatic bid in the NCAA Tournament. At the conference level, this year's Guilford team becomes the first team since Virginia Wesleyan University in 2009 to win the championship as a bottom-half seed.
GC held the Maroons' high-powered offense in check, by commanding the tempo. RC shot.484 from the field and 7-of-19 from three which is normal for them, but the Quakers played their game. Making their shots at a.443 rate and ten of their 30 attempts from range, they maintained pace while their brilliant, 15-of-16 showing at the charity stripe, proved pivotal to complete the victory.
Nick Farrar (6'7''-G) (Apex, N.C.) got going in the second half to finish with game-highs for points, with 21, and rebounds, with 12, making 7-of-17 from the field, 2-for-5 from three, and all five of his free throws. Chase Ellis (6'2''-G/F, college: Berry) (Douglasville, Ga.) also found a rhythm in the second half, dominating a stretch of the frame, finishing with 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting. Luke Proctor (6'2''-G) (Apex, N.C.) added a dozen and was tied with Dawson Edwards (5'10''-PG) (Durham, N.C.) for the team-lead with two assists. Caleb Farrish (6'7''-F) (McLeansville, N.C.) also contributed ten points in the victory.
For the second-straight day, Guilford really made the life of an All-ODAC First Team selection difficult, as Joshua McClary did finish with 16 points, but struggled in the first half and only shot 7-of-20 to go with a game-high seven assists. Instead, it was Jackson Bell who finished by pacing the Maroons with 20 points on 8-for-12 from the field. Marcus Morgan added 18 points and a team-leading seven caroms.
Guilford made the opening basket with Gabe Proctor (6'2''-G) (Apex, N.C.) cashing in a long three after winning the opening tip, but they had a little trouble settling in to this one as Roanoke scored eight-straight, four from Gavin O'Malley and four from Morgan with the last one being a free, break-away layup after miscommunication on a pick-and-roll. Tom Palombo wasted no time taking his first timeout and the stoppage seemed to settle the Quakers. Ellis hit tough straight-away two then last night's hero, Caleb Furr (6'6''-F) (Warrenton, Va.) got going again with consecutive step-backs, one for three and the other a long two, although the Maroons countered both hoops. Proctor finished a tough reverse ahead of the media timeout as it was a one-point game, 13-12 at the initial break.
Roanoke came out of the stoppage with six unanswered but GC responded with Edwards making mid-range jumpers on either side of a Luke Proctor layup. The defenses settled in and Guilford would just hang around for the next few minutes, not letting the game get out of hand, but unable to seize the lead. That would change just under the four-minute mark as Edwards dropped a long three then Farrar gave the Quakers the lead for the first time since the 18-minute mark with a wing trey. Joshua Morse made a two to finish the scoring in the half with the game deadlocked at 31-apiece.
The second half became a knock-down, drag-out affair that would stay within two possessions for a vast majority of the stanza. Farrar opened the frame with a three-point play then made another layup right out of the locker rooms as Guilford held the lead, or at worst were tied, throughout the first ten minutes of action. After Luke Proctor made consecutive threes, the Maroons made their move with Morse making two at the line, and Morgan making a second-chance hoop. A Farrar three curbed the spell, but then McClary made a pull-up jumper, Morgan made a pair at the stripe, and then McClary knocked down a trey, fully seizing momentum, and the lead, with 8:24 to play.
Ellis evened things on the ensuing possession as he took control of the game. McClary and Edwards traded twos then Ellis got going making a layup, then two free throws, and a rousing three-point play. RC continued to counter, however the final Ellis basket proved to be the turning point with the cardinal and grey scoring in 13 of their final 14 possessions and never trailed again. Roanoke would refuse to go down quietly, but an Ellis pull-up late in the shot clock proved to be the dagger with 30 second remaining and GC made their free throws in the final seconds to secure their fifth ODAC title, 79-74.

Courtesy of guilfordquakers.com

ODAC Final:
Roanoke - Guilford 74-79
ODAC Semifinals:
Randolph-Macon - Guilford 49-52
Roanoke - Lynchburg 96-92
ODAC Quarterfinals:
Randolph-Macon - Shenandoah 81-51
Hampden-Sydney - Lynchburg 66-72
Roanoke - Ferrum 89-75
Virginia Wesleyan - Guilford 61-74