SALEM, Va. — Roanoke College advanced to the semifinals of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference Tournament Tuesday night, routing Washington & Lee 92-68 behind a career-high 31 points from sophomore guard Caleb Franze.
Franze connected on seven 3-pointers and shattered his previous career best of 19, setting the tone early as the third-seeded Maroons (20-6, 12-4 ODAC) jumped to a 50-32 halftime lead at the Cregger Center. The 6-foot-3 guard also contributed three assists and two steals.
Junior Jackson Bell added 30 points, hitting six 3s and pulling down six rebounds, giving Roanoke a potent one-two scoring punch that Washington & Lee couldn’t contain.
The Maroons sprinted out to an 11-0 lead just over two minutes into the game and never looked back, extending the margin to as many as 31 in the second half. Senior guard Marcus Morgan chipped in nine points and five assists, while forward Gavin O’Malley scored 14.
Washington & Lee (17-9, 9-7) was led by Addison Newkirk’s 14 points but struggled to keep pace after falling behind early.
With the victory, Roanoke avenged two regular-season losses to the Generals and moved on to face No. 2 seed Virginia Wesleyan University in Friday’s semifinals at the Salem Civic Center.