Lynchburg, Va. -- University of Lynchburg dropped its first game at home in 2022, falling to Roanoke 71-53 Thursday night. 

The Hornets needed eight minutes to find their first bucket. Dow Dunton made two free throws ending Roanoke's 11-point run. 

Midway through the first half, Jordan Parham and Tharon Suggs sank two 3-pointers to cut the deficit to seven. 

With five minutes left in the first, Suggs sank a jumper to begin a nine-point run for the Hornets. Thacker, already with eight rebounds, scored the final four points of the run drawing Lynchburg within two points with one minute left.

Tripp Greene, one of Roanoke's three double-digit scorers, made a 3 to end the half, putting the Maroons up five at the break. 

Greene made another deep ball to ring in the second half. Thacker responded on the other end with an emphatic two-hand slam bringing an excited Turner Gymnasium crowd to its feet. The graduate student sank another bucket soon after, but Roanoke rebuilt a double-digit lead by the 16:26 mark. 

Alex Fitch and Suggs hit back-to-back shots from downtown with nine minutes remaining. After Isräel Lockamy sank a 3-pointer 2:26 later, Suggs scored five-straight points including an and-1. He finished with a team-high 15 points. 

Despite Suggs' seventh-straight game in double-figures and Thacker's tenth double-double, the Hornets conceded to the Maroons for their second conference loss of the season. 

Thacker poured in 14 points and 15 rebounds while also adding two blocks. He has five games with 15 or more boards this season. 

The Hornets (8-5, 2-2 ODAC) look to bounce back on Saturday, Jan. 22 at 2 p.m. while celebrating Alumni Day.

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--LYN--