Virginia Beach, Va. – The University of Lynchburg men's basketball team suffered a 70-59 defeat at Virginia Wesleyan in a defensive Old Dominion Athletic Conference matchup, as the Marlins ignited a 40-24 second-half surge to secure the victory.

The Hornets led by as many as 11 points and held Virginia Wesleyan to 0-12 from 3-point range to begin the game, despite playing without starting guards Jake Hart and Jayson Easton.

Jamarcus Brown led Lynchburg with 18 points, including four rebounds and four assists in 36 minutes of play. Jesse Mitchell and Michael Gray also tallied double figures, while first-year guard Jaden Palmore notched six points and eight rebounds in his first collegiate start.

Both teams muscled through a physical opening 10 minutes, posting a combined 18 points as Lynchburg owned an 11-7 advantage. The Hornets quickly gained momentum as Brown tallied the team's next seven points, and with 4:26 remaining in the first half, Lynchburg led 25-14.

Virginia Wesleyan stopped the bleeding when Khai Seargeant swished the team's first 3-pointer of the night. The Marlins cut the deficit to five by the halftime break, owning a slight 28-27 advantage on the boards.

The rebounding battle proved to be a difference maker in the second half, as the Marlins snatched 12 more rebounds than the Hornets in the final 20 minutes. 

The Marlins evened the score at 34 apiece when Omari DeVeaux created space in the lane for an easy finish. For the next nine minutes, however, neither team could extend its lead beyond a possession.

Virginia Wesleyan found separation heading into the final minutes with a dunk and layup from Amari Moorer, though the Hornets knotted the score at 50. 

Trailing by two at the final media timeout, the Marlins found their hot hands to construct a 9-0 run and all but seal the victory. Virginia Wesleyan posted 9-10 at the charity stripe in the final two and a half minutes to march to the 70-59 win.

Lynchburg shot 36.8% and led for 62% of the game in the losing effort.

The Hornets turn their attention to Hampden-Sydney on Saturday, Jan. 17 as they prepare to travel to Kirby Field House for a 2:00 p.m. clash with the Tigers.

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--LYN--