Wiley Shines in Return, as Men’s Basketball Defeated on the Road at Roanoke

Box Score 

SALEM, Va. - In his first game back on the floor for the 2017-18 season, senior Elliott Wiley (Baltimore, Md./Loch Raven) poured in a game-high 20 points, but it wasn't enough, as the Goucher College men's basketball team dropped a 69-51 decision at Roanoke on Saturday. The game was a part of the 2017 Cregger Invitational.

With the loss, the Gophers fell to 0-8 overall for the year, while Roanoke improved to 6-3 with the victory.

In the opening frame of the contest, the action was close between the teams, as Goucher took their first lead of the afternoon on a Wiley three with 11:42 to go in the first half (10-9). Roanoke, however, quickly took the lead back with a three of their own.

After Wiley nailed another three to give Goucher the lead back at 13-12, Roanoke grabbed the lead back with a basket. From there, the Maroons led the contest for the rest of the first half, as a 9-0 run by Roanoke extended a 17-15 lead out to 26-15 with three minutes to go in the frame.

Goucher was able to slice the Roanoke lead down to six points late in the half (28-22), but the Maroons scored the final basket of the half to take a 30-22 lead into intermission

To open the second half, the Gophers quickly cut the Roanoke lead down to five points (30-25), but the Maroons proceeded to go on a back-breaking 13-0 run over the next five minutes to take an insurmountable 43-25 lead with 14 minutes left.

The 18-point deficit proved to be too much for the Gophers to come back from, as they were unable to cut the Roanoke lead down to single-digits the rest of the way.

Overall, Wiley was terrific in his return to the court, as he matched a career-high with his 20-point effort. He also pulled down a career-best 11 rebounds in the defeat to notch a double-double in his 2017-18 debut.

Elsewhere, junior Gabe Ceribelli (Monkton, Md./Hereford) finished with 12 points, while freshman Jacob Smith (Callaway, Va./Franklin County) ended the day with nine points.

The Goucher College men's basketball team will finish off play at the Cregger Invitational on Sunday, as they will take on either Wesley or Hood at a time to be determined. Check with athletics.goucher.edu for a start time later today.

--GOPHERS--