Fields' career-high 25 points help guide Marlins to "W"
January 3, 2009
BRIDGEWATER, Va. -- Bridgewater College's Nininger Hall is one of the more challenging venues in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) for visiting teams to pick up a victory.
But, there's something about the place that Virginia Wesleyan College guard Stephen Fields is liking more and more.
And why not?
For the second consecutive visit to the Nininger Hall court, Fields (Hampton, Va./Hampton) produced career-high numbers, scoring 25 points Saturday to lead VWC's Marlins to a 70-65 conference victory and to a fourth win in a row.
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Fields' did it impressively, scoring 21 points in the second half, including key baskets throughout the half to help squelch every comeback effort by the host Eagles (6-5, 2-1), who had a four-game winning streak snapped. Fields' previous career-high scoring effort was a 21-point showing last February at Bridgewater.
Virginia Wesleyan (7-5, 1-2) never trailed, as rookie Quinton McDuffie (Suffolk, Va./Nansemond River) scored the game's first basket, giving the Marlins a lead they never relinquished. VWC bolted out to an 8-0 lead, helped by a key triple from senior Terrell Dixon (Virginia Beach, Va./Salem). Those long range shots helped VWC clip the Eagles' efforts time-after-time, particularly in a three-minute stretch late in the first half after Bridgewater pulled within six points. Three consecutive triples, one by Dixon and two from senior Norman Hassell (Virginia Beach, Va./Floyd E. Kellam) answered scoring by the host team and pushed Virginia Wesleyan out to a 30-17 lead with 6:01 remaining in the half.
A timely three-pointer by Robert Rice and a layup from Rick Maloney brought the Eagles back to an eight-point deficit minutes later, but not for long. Hassell hit another triple and McDuffie and Dixon both hit jumpers, as VWC opened up its largest lead of the game at 37-22. Michael Oblitey and Justin Reavis carried Bridgewater through the final 2:15 though, producing points that cut the Marlins' lead to 37-28 at the break.
A cold start to the second half hindered both teams before VWC sophomore Quantrell Simmons (Annandale, Va./Clifton Centreville) knocked down a three-pointer to push the Marlins back into a double-digit lead at 40-28. But, when Obliety answered with a triple for Bridgewater at the other end of the court, the Eagles found momentum they rode the rest of the way.
Dominic Trawick, Oblitey, and Reavis came up with the scoring plays that cut deeper into the VWC lead, only to see each advance knocked back by the alert play of the Marlins, with timely scoring from Fields and Hassell. After Bridgewater worked to pull within two points at 50-48, Hassell nailed a triple that created more space for the Marlins. After Rice scored on a layup to bring the Eagles within three, Fields scored six unanswered points for VWC, hitting a triple that gave the Marlins a 59-50 lead with 5:38 on the clock.
As Bridgewater continued to battle back, Virginia Wesleyan continued to find ways to protect its lead. Sophomore Julius Carlton (Hampton, Va./Newport News Woodside) and Fields combined to hit 5-of-8 free throws in the final 39 seconds to help secure the victory for the Marlins.
Fields hit 8-of-14 field goal attempts, including a pair of triples, and also nailed 7-of-10 free throws en route to his career-high 25 points. Hassell hit a career-high four triples, in eight attempts, and scored 14 points for the Marlins. Dixon added 11 points and dished out a game-high four assists. Hassell also produced a game-high four steals, while Carlton led the Marlins on the backboards with seven rebounds.
Trawick led Bridgewater with 19 points, hitting three triples overall. Oblitey added 15 points and Reavis tallied 12 points and pulled down a game-high nine rebounds.
Virginia Wesleyan returns to competition on Wednesday, Jan. 7, hosting the WildCats of Randolph College in the first ever meeting between the teams. Game time is 7 p.m. at the Jane P. Batten Student Center.
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