Video produced by visual and communication arts graduate, Shandell Taylor ’13. Music by digitalr3public, “Synthetic Truth.”

Learn more about 91短视频 athletics at http://www.emuroyals.com

鈥淏egin with what you have,鈥� she said, using 鈥測our little gift to change the world.鈥�

Gbowee referred with pride in her to being a graduate of 91短视频 (she earned a in 2007) and to being the mother of a 2014 graduate, . 鈥淢y home is 5,000 miles away from this campus, but this is a place that is very close to my heart.鈥�

She said she chose 91短视频 for her eldest son because she wanted a university with “a whole lot of Jesus and lots of churches” in the vicinity, but “limited partying.”

Mensah, a major, was one of 351 students receiving bachelor鈥檚 degrees. Eighty graduate degrees were conferred, including the first graduates from 91短视频鈥檚 two-year-old . Graduate certificates, associate degrees, and pastoral ministry degrees were also conferred.

Among the thousands of family members and friends in the audience were 10 relatives of , a well-known figure on campus for his basketball prowess. Less well-known is that he flunked out of 91短视频 after his freshman year.

Thorne appealed for re-admission, hoping to prove that he could be the first member of his extended family to finish college. The following years were not entirely smooth, including at least one brush with the law. But, in Thorne鈥檚 words, basketball coach “stayed in my ear to push me along and to be honest. He never gave up, and he鈥檚 been getting on my nerves for four years! But that鈥檚 what people need.鈥�

An published in December 2013 showed that Thorne, in his fifth year at 91短视频, was still struggling to complete his required coursework. Upon reading the article, Coach Dean posted this comment:

You need to really focus and finish strong! You can see the light at the end of the tunnel so keep grinding! Years from now, I need to be able to tell other recruits about 鈥楢ndrew Thorne鈥欌�here he came from, what he had to overcome, the contributions you are making to society, and the successful life you are leading now. That鈥檚 where this story needs to go over the coming years. Get it done.

When Andrew鈥檚 name was called and he walked across the stage to receive his diploma, his father James waved the commencement program in the air and yelled, 鈥淚t鈥檚 about time!鈥�

Andrew’s 27-year-old brother (named James like his father) got leave from his work as a Norfolk-based petty officer in the U.S. Navy to be present. 鈥淚 knew he was going to make it,鈥� said his brother, though 鈥渋t was not an easy ride for him.鈥�

Their mother, Wanda, said she is sure “Drew” 鈥� as the family calls him 鈥� 鈥渋s going to be successful 鈥� he鈥檚 proven that he can overcome a lot of obstacles in his life.鈥�

Drew himself was all smiles as he hugged his family, but he was a man of few words in talking about his accomplishment. He simply said, “It means the world. It’s a fresh start. It’s a new beginning.”

More from commencement weekend:

Cords of Distinction ceremony听(辫辞诲肠补蝉迟)

Seminary commencement ceremony (podcast)

“” – WHSV/TV3 (video)

Nurses’ pinning ceremony (podcast)

Seminary Baccalaureate听(辫辞诲肠补蝉迟)

Dean first met Thorne when he went to see a game at Skyline High School in Front Royal, Va., during Thorne鈥檚 senior year. Dean saw Thorne as a perfect fit for the style of basketball played by his men鈥檚 team at 91短视频, loving the passion with which Thorne played football.

Yes, football.

Thorne spent his elementary years in Manassas in Northern Virginia but his family moved west to Front Royal, just off I-66 about 60 miles northeast of Harrisonburg, when he was 11. Thorne credits the move to his parents鈥� efforts to address their marital, financial and legal difficulties, along with their realization that they needed to get their two sons away from bad neighborhood influences.

New neighborhood, but still a struggle

Thorne says his parents feared that one more bad move on their part, and they might have their sons taken away from them. So they picked up and started over in Front Royal.

Thorne鈥檚 parents are still together, and his family is doing much better, his mother a janitor in the local ER, his father delivering sheetrock. 鈥淲e鈥檙e not perfect,鈥� Thorne says. 鈥淲e still struggle.鈥� But he could count on his father coming to his sports matches, with his mother, whenever she could get free from work.

Thorne played both football and basketball from his earliest years in elementary school, activities he credits with keeping him busy and mostly off the streets. James Thorne, Andrew鈥檚 father, says that 鈥減laying sports helped. If he wasn’t playing sports, he would have done worse in school.鈥� Once in high school, Andrew quickly rose to star athlete, playing wide receiver, but a scare with a wrong-place, wrong-time, drug-possession charge sent college scouts running, including JMU鈥檚 football scouts. On top of that, Thorne struggled to achieve a high enough SAT score to win admission to many universities.

Impact of Coach Kirby’s visit

Both Andrew and James speak fondly of a time when Dean visited the Thorne home in Front Royal. 鈥淗aving something like that from a small school stuck with me,鈥� says Andrew.

James concurs, saying, 鈥淗e sat down, talked to us and made us feel comfortable about 91短视频. He was like a father figure outside of this home to Andrew. Sometimes a coach will deal with a person as a player only. Kirby deals with a person as a student first, a player second.鈥�

After scholarships and opportunities looked lost to him, Andrew knew whom to call, despite initially turning Dean down for a spot on the 91短视频 team. 鈥淗e told me, 鈥業f you change your mind, I鈥檒l be here.鈥� That stayed with me. I knew if I didn鈥檛 go to school, I didn鈥檛 know what I would do.鈥�

Once the season began, Andrew 鈥� playing forward for the Royals 鈥� showed his drive to succeed and strength, proving he belonged with the team. 鈥淗e is a competitor in every sense of the word,鈥� Dean says today, 鈥渨hich is why we were always kindred spirits.鈥�

Andrew says Dean stayed 鈥渋n my ear to push me along and to be honest. He never gave up, and he鈥檚 been getting on my nerves for four years! But that鈥檚 what people need.鈥�

Basketball was “it” at first

Dean鈥檚 decision to recruit Andrew proved prescient. From 2009 to 2013, Andrew racked up 527 rebounds and made the top 20 list of Career Scoring Leaders at 91短视频 with 1,053 points.

Andrew admits that once the team began to excel (25-5 record in 2009-10, ranked No. 4 nationally in Div. III), his studies and attendance in classes were benched. By the end of his freshman year, he had failed out of 91短视频. Andrew says this opened his eyes to the seriousness of his choices; he realized he might never return if he stopped college after his first year.

Andrew, with Dean鈥檚 support, appealed for re-admission that fall and a reprieve was granted under academic probation. From there, Andrew knew in order to succeed he needed to focus and keep his priorities. 鈥淚 worked my butt off to get off of probation,鈥� Andrew says. 鈥�91短视频鈥檚 decision to keep me after my freshman year and the chance to come back allowed me to try again.鈥� Now a fifth-year senior majoring in liberal arts, Andrew has raised his GPA to above average.

Once he became an upperclassman, Andrew stepped into a place of leadership within the team. 鈥�91短视频 has helped him out a lot,鈥� says his father. 鈥淗e is more focused on being a man now, more responsible, more mature.鈥�

Andrew agrees. 鈥淚鈥檓 glad I came here; it helped me grow as a person and as a man. 91短视频 helped me see two different worlds 鈥� this one, and the home I came from 鈥� and how I can transition to either one and still be the same person.鈥�

Hoping to prove unbelievers wrong

Now that his time as the Royal鈥檚 star forward has passed, Andrew is looking ahead. 鈥淚 am definitely ready to graduate, to make my parents, Coach Kirby, and myself proud, and to prove wrong those people who thought I couldn鈥檛 make it.鈥� Andrew plans to return home to Front Royal 鈥� not to return to his old habits, but to change the path followed by many youth in his community.

Thorne says that an active Boys and Girls Club or a recreation center could make a significant impact in Front Royal. 鈥淎t home, there isn鈥檛 a place that provides something or somewhere for young people to go. Kids are out after school for hours, getting into trouble. If I had had something early on, a lot of things would be different,” says Thorne, alluding to some of his brushes with trouble. “I can lead by example.鈥�

鈥淎ndrew is determined to get a degree and to get a decent job. He’s not going to give up,鈥� his father says. 鈥�91短视频 started him working with kids and he really liked it. He knows the Boys and Girls Club here in Front Royal needs help. He loves working with kids and wants to help them.鈥�

Andrew admits to still struggling and still needing the kind of mentoring Dean has provided. 鈥淚 do what I have to do. I don鈥檛 want to let my parents down. I鈥檓 doing this for me but also for them.鈥�

The teams traded leads in a classic first half, with 91短视频 holding the biggest edge at seven points.聽 (Madison, VA/Madison) capped a 7-0 run with a dunk to put the Royals up 34-27 with 4:33 left in the half.聽 But Bridgewater quickly closed the gap and sliced the lead to two by halftime, 38-36.

The Eagles slid ahead 44-41 early in the second, but a 12-2 spurt put Eastern Mennonite back in front, 53-46.聽 Sims had the big play in the run, diving to the floor for a steal at half court, then getting up to beat the transition defense and dunk the ball.

A Thorne jumper kept the lead at 60-53 with 7:03 to go, but the Eagles scored the next eight points to take the edge at 61-60.聽 91短视频’s (Fredericksburg, VA/Mountain View) accounted for the next three points, as the seesaw battle continued.

Bridgewater returned fire with the next five to go ahead 66-63 with 2:25 left, but Sims drilled a three from the left wing to knot the score.聽 The Royals had a chance to take the lead after a defensive stand, but Thorne missed an alley-oop from Sims.

With the score knotted at 66-66, the Eagles had their own chance for the lead, but Sims picked out the steal with 1:24 left.聽 Thorne made good this time, hitting a jumper in the lane to put 91短视频 up 68-66 with 1:06 left.

Zach Hunter (Newport News, VA/Woodside) missed a layup for BC on their next possession, but the Eagles kept the ball with an offensive rebound.聽 After a tied up ball, the home team inbounded under their hoop, and Hunter was left open on the weakside for an easy game-tying lay-in, making it 68-68 with 43 seconds to play.

The Royals got a good look on a three pointer from (Telford, PA/Christopher Dock) from the right corner, but the big man’s shot rimmed out.聽 Thorne tipped out an offensive board to Sims, though, and the junior hit a shot from the free throw line with 8.5 seconds to go, putting 91短视频 in front 70-68.

Ronnie Thomas (Roanoke, VA/Patrick Henry) missed a running floater for BC, and Daniel grabbed the rebound.聽 He was fouled with 0.4 left, and made both free throws to ice the win, 72-68.

As with most rivalry games, the decision came down to who made the right plays at the right time, and the Royals inched to the road win with key plays in the final minute.聽 Shooting percentages were relatively even: 43% for 91短视频 and 41% for Bridgewater.聽 The Eagles had a 45-34 edge on the boards, but Eastern Mennonite made eight three pointers to BC’s two, and had a +4 turnover margin, 19-15.

Thorne, who had the key offensive rebound to set up Sims’ winning shot, finished with 18 points and five rebounds.聽 Sims charted 13 points, three assists and two steals.

Longacre just missed a double double with 10 points and nine rebounds.聽 He also had three picks.聽 Daniel came in with eight points and five rebounds.

Ed Reddick (Virginia Beach, VA/Kellam) led Bridgewater with 20 points and 12 rebounds.聽 Thomas had 17 points, six rebounds, five assists and three steals.

The Runnin Royals improve to 11-7 overall and 4-5 in the ODAC.聽 91短视频 is at upstart Lynchburg this Saturday at 3:00pm.聽 The Hornets are tied for third in the ODAC at 6-3 after upsetting Guilford Wednesday night.

Despite leading 40-27 at halftime, the Royals watched as Washington and Lee slowly chipped back in.聽 Even with 32 seconds left in regulation, 91短视频 led by five, 74-69.聽 W&L answered with a layup and then forced a turnover on the ensuing inbounds play.

The visitors got a single free throw with 21 seconds left, then a fortuitous offensive rebound off the missed second toss.聽 Larry Whitaker (Bartlett, IL/Bartlett) missed a jumper with 16 seconds left and (Telford, PA/Christopher Dock) muscled out the rebound.聽 91短视频’s big man was fouled and made one of two free throws to keep the lead at three, 75-72.

The Generals quickly came down the floor and guard Kelton Buchanan (Powder Springs, GA/Hillgrove) drilled a three pointer from the left side with seven seconds left to knot the score.聽 Eastern Mennonite couldn’t get off a clean shot, leaving the game to be decided in OT.

(Fort Washington, MD/Friendly) stepped up for the men in the extra session, scoring 91短视频’s first six points to build up an 81-77 lead.聽 (Front Royal, VA/ Skyline) added a fastbreak dunk after a steal by (Madison, VA/Madison) to put the edge at six with 1:37 to go.

The Runnin Royals then iced the game from the free throw line, making 6-of-8 tosses to keep W&L from making another comeback.

Eastern Mennonite shot 46% in the win, compared to 41% for the Generals.聽 The visitors did have a 46-40 edge on the boards, but the Royals more than made up for that by forcing 24 turnovers.聽 Free throws were basically even, with 91短视频 going 21-33 while Washington and Lee finished 21-31.

Longacre had one of the best games of his career and charted his first double double of the season.聽 He tied his career high with 20 points and pulled down 10 big rebounds.聽 Sims was right behind him with 19 counters.

Thorne finished with 16 points and eight rebounds, while (Fredericksburg, VA/Mountain View) had 10 points and four assists.聽 (Capitol Heights, MD/Archbishop Carroll) added eight points off the bench.

Drew Kimberly (Fairfield, CT/Fairfield Ludlowe) had 20 points to lead Washington and Lee.

The Royals, now 3-2 in the ODAC, move over .500 in the conference for the first time this season.聽 91短视频 enters a tough stretch of their schedule, playing their next games against three of the top four teams in the ODAC.聽 First up is Guilford this Saturday at 2:00 in Harrisonburg.聽 The Quakers, 4-1 in the league, beat the men 67-64 on Nov. 28 in Greensboro, NC, on a half court three pointer at the buzzer.

(Fredericksburg, VA/Mountain View) canned a three pointer on the first possession of the game, then after an Eagle bucket the men scored seven in a row to go up 10-2.聽 Mary Washington got their second basket, but (Fort Washington, MD/Friendly) scored the next six points for a quick 16-4 lead just 5:14 into the contest.

The Runnin Royals surged again, as Daniel capped a 13-2 run with another triple to push the lead to 29-12.聽 The Eagles finally settled down and got within four before 91短视频 took a 42-36 lead into halftime.

The teams traded jabs for much of the second half until (Bassett, VA/Carlisle) scored six straight to push the edge back up to 62-51.

Mary Washington fought back but would get no closer than four points.聽 Down the stretch, 91短视频 made just enough free throws and played great defense, limiting the Eagles to just three points over the final four minutes, to seal the 79-71 win.

The men shot 52%, nearly double what they shot in a loss to Christopher Newport just two days earlier.

(Alexandria, VA/T.C. Williams) led four Royals in double figures with 18 points, eight rebounds and two steals.聽 Sims finished with 17 points and three assists, while Daniel charted 15 with three assists.

(Telford, PA/Christopher Dock) notched 11 points.聽 (Front Royal, VA/Skyline) made his presence felt with eight boards and three assists.

UMW’s Sean Armstrong (Richmond, VA/Monacan) led all players with 20 points.

The Runnin Royals close their first half at 8-4, including 1-2 in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference.聽 After a 16-day break in action, Eastern Mennonite returns to the floor with a road game at Emory & Henry on Jan. 5.

The men jumped to a 9-2 lead, but then watched the Saints score the next six points to make it a ball game. Marymount had a couple of two-point leads before the teams sailed into halftime tied at 33-33.

The Runnin Royals made quick adjustments at halftime and scored the first six points coming out of the break. They continued the run by attacking the basket, scoring their first 14 points on layups or dunks and springing to a 47-37 lead.

The cushion grew to as many as 16 points when (Front Royal, VA/Skyline) canned a three pointer to make it 62-46 just nine minutes into the period.

Marymount regrouped and slowly chipped into the lead, getting as close as seven points in the final minute.聽 But the Royals scored the final four points of the contest to lock up the 11-point win.

Thorne had his second straight 25-point outing, going 11-14 from the floor.聽 The senior added eight rebounds, including five offensive, to lead 91短视频 in that category as well.

Four other men scored in double figures, led by (Fort Washington, MD/Friendly) with 12 points.聽 (Alexandria, VA/T.C. Williams) earned his first start and responded with 11 points, six assists, six rebounds and four steals.聽 (Bassett, VA/Carlisle) finished with 11 counters and (Telford, PA/Christopher Dock) added 10.

Most team statistics were relatively even between the two squads, except for shooting.聽 The Royals finished with a 57% clip, including 70% in the second half, while Marymount shot 46%.

After starting the year with four straight wins in Yoder Arena, Eastern Mennonite hits the road this weekend to open their ODAC slate.聽 The Royals play at Guilford in a men’s/women’s doubleheader on Wednesday, playing the late game at 7:30pm.聽 They play at Roanoke on Saturday.

After falling behind 9-2, Eastern Mennonite led by as much as 35-21 before turnovers and poor free throw shooting let the Panthers get back in the game.聽 A 13-2 run by Ferrum gave the visitors their first lead since the opening minutes at 60-59 with 6:28 remaining.聽 The surge continued to a 69-62 edge for FC with 3:07 to go in regulation.

That’s when the men finally started to hit some free throws.聽 Over the first 37 minutes of play, the Royals made just 14-of-35 charity tosses.聽 But the men went 4-8 in the final three minutes of regulation, and even the misses proved crucial.

After the Panthers converted a big three-point play to lead 72-65 with 1:43 to go, (Front Royal, VA/Skyline) made a layup to trim the lead to five.聽 (Madison, VA/Madison) swatted away a Ferrum shot with 45 seconds to go and the Royals had life.聽 Thorne missed two free throws, but (Fort Washington, MD/Friendly) picked out a steal after a Ferrum rebound, and then zipped a pass to Falk for a dunk with 25 seconds showing.

Down by three, the Royals still needed some magic.聽 Falk started it by forcing a turnover on the inbounds pass. 聽He was strategically fouled with 22 seconds to go, but hit the first attempt to trim the lead to 72-70.聽 His second attempt bounced off the front of the rim, and Thorne swooped in for an offensive board, and found Sims for a layup to knot up the score at 72-72 with 18 seconds left. 聽91短视频 scored five points in a seven-second span to erase the deficit.

Ferrum managed to get off a shot in the closing seconds, but it wasn’t close and the game headed to overtime.

The streak continued for the Runnin Royals, as they scored the first six points of OT to go ahead 78-72 after a Sims three-point play.聽 The Panthers finally got two free throws to end the 13-0 run, but they wouldn’t get closer than four points the rest of the way.

After the cold start, Eastern Mennonite connected on 13-of-19 free throws over final eight minutes of the contest to help ice the win.聽 They still finished 27-54 in the game, setting a program record for free throws attempted.

The Royals shot 56% from the floor, including 4-10 from outside, and forced 30 Ferrum turnovers.聽 The Panthers stayed in the game by shooting 47% from the floor and nailing 28-of-31 free throws.聽 They also had a 38-28 edge in rebounding.

(Fredericksburg, VA/Mountain View) helped steady the men throughout the game and led all scorers with 27 points, tying his career high.聽 Falk was 10-11 from the floor and tallied 24 points with a game high four steals.聽 Sims picked up his scoring in crunch time and finished with 16.聽 Thorne had nine rebounds, including five offensive, and five assists.

The Eastern Mennonite men remain at home next week, hosting Frostburg State on Tuesday and Marymount next Sunday.

In 2009-10, the Runnin Royals returned all five of their starters from a 15-11 campaign and vaulted to the Elite Eight in the national tourney, finishing with a final record of 25-5 and a No. 4 national ranking.聽 This year, Eastern Mennonite returns all five starters from a 12-15 team, and Dean is brimming with optimism.聽 And he will compare that.

“After the 15-11 year, going into the next year I thought we were going to be good,” said Dean.聽 “But never in my wildest imagination did I see those guys ascending to that level of play.聽 I didn’t see fourth in the country coming.聽 But to be honest, I’m just as optimistic now as I was then.聽 Can you catch lightning in a bottle twice?聽 I don’t know, but it’s certainly something we’ll strive for.”

Last winter, Dean needed five new starters and the young team had an up-and-down season.聽 But ending with three straight wins before an overtime loss in the ODAC Quarterfinals to Randolph-Macon gave the men some hope which translated into a lot of hard work in the offseason.

“I think that last year’s finish was probably about as crucial as anything could be,” Dean said.聽 “We were up and down so much with a young team.聽 Even some of the older kids hadn’t played a lot (before last year).聽 So I think the fact that we got things going at the end created an air of optimism and pushed us into offseason workouts.聽 I would say the offseason and preseason were as productive as any of my years that I’ve been here.聽 Through two weeks of practice I’ve seen big time improvement in my returners, as much as I’ve ever seen.”

And the returners abound, as 91短视频 brings back the top nine players from last year’s rotation.聽 Headlining the crew is 6-4 senior wing (Front Royal, VA/Skyline).聽 In his first season as a starter, Thorne averaged team highs of 13.1 points and 7.1 rebounds and was named All-ODAC Third Team.聽 Also back is 6-4 junior (Fort Washington, MD/Friendly) who was good for 12.3 points and led the men with 61 assists and 56 steals, as well as 6-6 big man (Telford, PA/Christopher Dock) who averaged 9.9 points and 5.8 rebounds.聽 He also found a stroke from the outside and led the team with a 42.9 three-point field goal percentage.

Junior guards 6-2 (Fredericksburg, VA/Mountain View) and 6-0 (Roanoke, VA/Northside) return as well.聽 Daniel finished with a 9.3 scoring clip and 55 assists, while Burroughs scored 8.3 a game with 60 assists.

While the men do return all five starters, Dean said nothing is a given this year as his other returners have improved in the offseason and a handful of talented newcomers will also push for playing time.

“We always say that everything is an open competition and everybody has to earn their chance to start,” said 91短视频’s tenth-year coach.聽 “Those guys started a lot of games last year.聽 If you were playing the odds, chances are that they will be the starting five again.聽 But the best players are going to play.”

Other returning rotation players are: 6-6 (Madison, VA/Madison) (6.5 PPG, 4.1 RPG), 6-2 (Capitol Heights, MD/Archbishop Carroll) (4.4 PPG), 6-7 (Alexandria, VA/T.C. Williams) (4.2 PPG) and 6-2 (Woodbridge, VA/Garfield) (2.3 PPG), although Smith is recovering from an injury.聽 Dean also noted 6-4 Davis & Elkins transfer (Bassett, VA/Carlisle) as an impact player, and thinks he may see some contributions from his freshmen, especially 6-4 (Harrisonburg, VA/Broadway), 5-11 (Roanoke, VA/William Fleming) and 6-7 (Covington, VA/Alleghany).聽 The Royals were also hoping for added depth from 6-4 Messiah transfer Chris Yoder (Lancaster, PA/Hempfield), but he will miss the year with a knee injury.

One area of weakness last season was outside shooting, and the Runnin Royals will need to improve on their 28.3% from three point range.聽 Shooting and physique were two areas that Dean said his men worked on during the offseason.

“We had a lot of kids that worked really hard in the weight room, and a lot of kids that got up a lot of shots,” explained Dean.聽 “Our kids knew we needed to improve our shooting percentage.聽 You can also see a lot of changes in my kids’ bodies.聽 A lot of kids have bulked up and look great.聽 The bottom line is the kids had a good offseason.”

One key for Dean-coached teams has always been to earn extra possessions, generally through offensive rebounds and turnovers.聽 The men have specific statistical targets set to meet those ends.

“Last year we were +5 in shot attempts per game and dead even in free throws,” Dean explained.聽 “So the goal this year is to double that shot attempts to +10 and to get that into the plus side on free throw attempts.聽 We feel we can do that if we improve on offensive rebounds and increase the turnover margin from +3 to +5.聽 And then if we can shoot the ball better from three, we’ll have a chance to be a really good team.”

Thanks in part to the way his 2009-10 team made national waves, combined with the strong finish his men had last year, Dean doesn’t expect to surprise anyone this time around.

“I think people are already going to expect us to be pretty good,” he said.聽 “Maybe not top 25 in the country, but a really tough out.聽 With so many kids that played last year coming back, the way we finished (beating Guilford and taking Macon to OT in tournament), and adding a couple of kids that we think can contribute, I don’t think we can sneak up on anybody.聽 But I don’t see a need to sneak up on anybody.聽 I just think we need to be the best that we can be.”

The Runnin Royals claimed the seventh seed in last spring’s ODAC Tournament with a league record of 6-10.聽 The men beat rival Bridgewater College in a First Round game in Harrisonburg to earn an ODAC Tournament win for the third straight year.聽 Eventual NCAA-qualifier Randolph-Macon beat out 91短视频 in an overtime thriller in the ODAC Quarterfinals.聽 It was also the third straight year the Yellow Jackets have knocked the men out of the ODAC Tournament.

Dean knows his team might still be a bit unseasoned to win the ODAC’s regular season title, especially with Virginia Wesleyan, one of the nation’s top teams, on the schedule twice.聽 But he is hoping for the Runnin Royals to again peak at the right time.

“We’re looking to finish as high as we can,” he said, “obviously we’re shooting for top five to avoid that play-in game and to get a really good seed heading into tournament.聽 We’ll be a whole lot better in February than in November.聽 If we can hit our stride in February like we did last year, but with a better team, we have a chance to make some noise.聽 And obviously if you win the ODAC Tournament, anything can happen from there.”

Eastern Mennonite opens the regular season by hosting the 91短视频 Tip-Off Classic on Nov. 16 & 17, playing Elizabethtown and Ferrum.聽 Bridgewater will be the fourth team at the Classic, making for an exciting start to what should be an exciting season in Yoder Arena.

What is your major?聽 What do you hope to do?

Recreation and Sport Leadership.聽 I鈥檓 taking the business management aspect of it.聽 I want to start my own rec center or boys or girls club.聽 There鈥檚 a need for it.

What originally made you choose to come to 91短视频?

At first my school choices centered around football, but they did not work out.聽 I always had 91短视频 in the back of my mind, and Coach Kirby (Dean) never gave up on me.聽 So I called him up, and he let me in.聽 And I鈥檓 glad I did.聽 I need this place.

What has it been like being a student-athlete while at 91短视频?

It鈥檚 been pretty cool.聽 Usually you鈥檙e used to being just an athlete.聽 I didn鈥檛 think about grades as much in high school, but when you get here they make sure you know you鈥檙e also a STUDENT and not just an athlete.聽 So I鈥檓 learning to do what I have to do to succeed, so that I can do what I love to – have fun on the court.

What has it been like playing men鈥檚 basketball here?

I have learned a lot of things.聽 The last two years have been so successful.聽 For me to come in (as an underclassman) and get some playing time and get some wins and go that far has been great.聽 And now this year, we鈥檙e so young.聽 We鈥檙e learning to keep on going.聽 It鈥檚 going to come and we鈥檒l be right back where we were (the last two years).聽 So I鈥檓 learning to keep pushing.

You spent two years as a key sub on the team, but now you have had to quickly transition into being one of the leaders.聽 Talk about those roles.

It felt good to be the sub.聽 I knew who I was up against.聽 I came in behind an All-American (Todd Phillips).聽 Coach told me what to do, and I did what I had to do.聽 I would come in and make some plays and get a dunk to get the crowd going – to play my role.聽 In high school I was the man, but I enjoyed playing my role.聽 This year I try to teach that to the freshmen.聽 Even if you sit the bench, you don鈥檛 give up.聽 Just keep pushing hard.聽 I try to lead by example and throw my body out there. 聽It鈥檚 a good role (to be a leader) and I鈥檓 up for it.

What are one or two things you have learned from playing basketball here that you will take with you when you leave?

From my freshman year, it鈥檚 probably the will to never give up.聽 And no matter how successful things are, you can never forget and stop trying.聽 You always work hard and fight to do what you do to be successful.聽 I was on academic probation and I was worried for a bit that with my grades they would give up on me.聽 But I worked hard to get off of academic probation.聽 So to just have the will to fight.

Seventh-seeded 91短视频 heads into the ODAC Quarterfinals where they will play second-seeded Randolph-Macon.聽 The two teams have also developed a rivalry in the last few years, including R-MC winning twice this year on buzzer-beating three pointers.

The ODAC Quarterfinal matchup will be at 6:00pm Friday night at the Salem Civic Center in Salem, VA.

But Tuesday night, the Runnin Royals had to take care of their fiercest rivals.

In the opening minutes, the game looked like a blowout.聽 (Fort Washington, MD/Friendly) personally scored the first eight points of the contest and 91短视频 zipped to a 15-0 lead.

Bridgewater regrouped, however, and used a 16-2 run to tie the score at 28-28 with 5:28 to go in the half.聽 The Royals got back in front, but BC drew a charge with five seconds left and then nailed a three pointer at the buzzer to take their first lead of the night, 35-34 going into halftime.

91短视频 came out strong in the second and never looked back.聽 (Front Royal, VA/Skyline) scored the first four points to put the men back in front.聽 (Telford, PA/Christopher Dock) banked in a three pointer to increase the lead to 48-38 with 13:10 left.

A Ronnie Thomas (Roanoke, VA/Patrick Henry) jumper got the Eagles back to within five at 52-47, but then 91短视频 unleashed a 14-4 run over a span of 2:27, blowing the lead to 66-51 with 6:09 left in the game.聽 Thorne scored five straight in the run, followed by Sims scoring seven in a row.

Bridgewater never recovered from there as the Royals rolled out to the First Round win.

Thorne led all players with a career high 24 points, including 19 in the second half.聽 The junior added eight rebounds, three assists and two steals.

91短视频 Coach Kirby Dean felt his team’s dry spell in the first half had something to do with Thorne sitting on the bench with two fouls.

“I thought we played really well except for that ten-minute stretch in the first half,” he said.聽 “When Drew’s not in there we’re a different team.聽 He’s doesn’t have to score to make us go.聽 He’s really become a complete player.聽 At halftime I second guessed myself on whether I should have left him in since we lost a 15-point lead.聽 But at the end of the game when he took over I was happy to have him in there.聽 He made me look smart.”

Sims didn’t look too shabby himself, as the smooth sophomore finished with 22 points, eight rebounds, four assists and three steals.聽 He was 4-for-6 from three point range.

Longacre added 11 points, five assists and two blocked shots.聽 (Madison, VA/Madison) also had a pair of blocks.聽 Point guard (Fredericksburg, VA/Mountain View) made his presence felt with a game high 12 rebounds, including seven offensive boards.

Aaron Adams (Ellicott City, MD/Centennial) led Bridgewater with 13 while Thomas charted 12 points and five assists.聽 Ed Reddick (Virginia Beach, VA/Kellam) was good for 11 points.

Eastern Mennonite forced 23 turnovers while committing just 15 of their own.聽 The Royals had only two in the second half.聽 BC had a slight edge in shooting at 47% to 42%, but 91短视频 erased that by dominating the boards, 47-30.聽 The Runnin Royals also had 26 offensive rebounds.

Dean was ecstatic that his young team could win an ODAC Tournament game at home after such an up-and-down season.

“I’m pleased for them and happy for them,” Dean said of his players.聽 “Of all the teams I’ve had, they’ve deserved some success after how hard they’ve worked and when you consider the heart-breaking losses they’ve had to persevere through.聽 There has been no quit in these guys.”

Eastern Mennonite, now 12-14, seems to be gaining momentum at just the right time, taking a three-game winning streak to Salem.聽 Three wins in the Salem Civic Center would earn the men a bid to the national tournament.

The ODAC Semifinals are Saturday evening with the Championship game Sunday afternoon.

Neither team played well to start the game, as there were nearly more fouls than points over the first few minutes.聽 Bridgewater finally broke off a 9-9 tie with an 8-0 run to go up 17-9.

BC led by as many as nine before the Runnin Royals regrouped and trimmed it down.聽 R.J. Sims (Fort Washington, MD/Friendly) sliced to the hoop for a layup to end the half, cutting the Eagles鈥� lead to four at 31-27.

The momentum continued into the second, as 91短视频 scored the first five to skip in front for the first time since the opening minutes, 32-31.聽 The two teams traded leads before the Runnin Royals scored eight straight, with a Randell Smith (Woodbridge, VA/Garfield) jumper pushing the lead to 42-37, and forcing Bridgewater to call a timeout.

The breather didn鈥檛 slow down 91短视频鈥檚 fastbreak, as the men scored another eight in row, all in transition, forcing yet another timeout at 50-37.聽 The Royals added another bucket to cap an 18-0 run, with Smith getting eight during the streak.聽 The sophomore added his third triple to finish off a 21-2 spurt before getting a sub.

The Royals weren鈥檛 done with their 55-39 lead, as they continued to force turnovers and crash the offensive boards.聽 The lead was as high as 34 as Eastern Mennonite thoroughly dominated the second and ran away with the 80-49 win.

91短视频 shot 60% in the decisive final period while holding Bridgewater to 23% and winning the half 53-18.聽 The Royals forced 10 turnovers and had a 28-15 command of the boards in the frame.

For the game, the men out-shot the Eagles 50% to 31% and forced 20 turnovers.聽 91短视频 did struggle from the free throw line, hitting just 13-of-27 attempts.

Smith finished with a career best 11 points, all during the decisive second half surge.聽 Sims led 91短视频 with 12 points and four offensive boards, but was one of five men in double figures.

Owen Longacre (Telford, PA/Christopher Dock) had 11 points and seven rebounds, while Adam Burroughs (Roanoke, VA/Northside) put in 11 with four steals and three assists.聽 Junior Andrew Thorne (Front Royal, VA/Skyline) was good for 10 points, nine rebounds and three steals.

Bridgewater freshman Aaron Adams (Ellicott City, MD/Centennial) led all players with 16 points.聽 Point guard Ronnie Thomas (Roanoke, VA/Patrick Henry) scored 14 but also had six turnovers.聽 Ed Reddick (Virginia Beach, VA/Kellam) had a game high 10 rebounds.

The Royals snap a five-game ODAC losing streak with the win, improving to 2-5 in the conference and 7-9 overall.聽 BC dropped their tenth in a row, slipping to 4-12 and 1-6.聽 Eastern Mennonite has now won five games in a row in the series between the two.

91短视频 will try to springboard off the win when they host Randolph on Saturday.聽 Game time in Yoder Arena is 7:00pm.

Eastern Mennonite scored first in the game, but made a statement on the defensive end.聽 The men frustrated the Bobcats into a season low 31.7% from the floor and never trailed.

FSU was still within two points at 17-15 midway through the first until the Royals exploded on a quick 9-0 run to blow the game open.聽 The men then scored the final five of the half to lead 45-30 at the break.

The Runnin Royals didn鈥檛 let up in the second and expanded the lead to the final 21-point margin.

All 15 of the 91短视频 men in uniform got to play in the win as they out-shot Frostburg State 48.5% to 31.7%.聽 They also had a hefty 50-39 edge in rebounding.

Junior Andrew Thorne (Front Royal, VA/Skyline) collected his third double double of the season, finishing with game highs of 18 points and 11 rebounds along with two steals.聽 R.J. Sims (Fort Washington, MD/Friendly), who has been slowed over the past week with an illness, played a game high 34 minutes and dumped in 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting.

Guard Adam Burroughs (Roanoke, VA/Northside) made his presence felt with a career high seven assists.聽 He also tied his career best with seven rebounds.聽 Owen Longacre (Telford, PA/Christopher Dock) had ten points and five rebounds.聽 Freshman Corey Sheppard (Richmond, VA/Open) had his best game in an 91短视频 uniform with eight rebounds, two steals and two assists in 18 minutes.

Starting point guard Dajon Daniel (Fredericksburg, VA/Mountain View) and reserve Josh Mallory (Round Hill, VA/Loudoun Valley) both missed the game because of illness.

The win is the fourth in the last five games for the Runnin Royals, who improve to 6-7.聽 They return to ODAC play for the rest of the season and will try to better their 1-3 league mark Wednesday when they host Randolph-Macon.

Sophomore (Roanoke, VA/Northside) started the game with a steal and lay-up, then 91短视频 used a 6-0 run to push the lead to 8-2.聽 The Hornets got within 10-8 before the Runnin Royals clamped on the defense.聽 Holding SU scoreless for a span of 7:54, Eastern Mennonite inflated the edge to 20-8 and never let it below double digits the rest of the night.

(Fredericksburg, VA/Mountain View) canned the game’s first three as the first half closed, pushing the lead to 43-17.

Shenandoah never seriously threatened in the second.聽 (Front Royal, VA/Skyline) provided the highlight for the opening night crowd of 745, as he stole the ball and dunked it with 4:13 to play.聽 The two points bumped 91短视频 over the magic threshold of 79, giving everyone in attendance a free cone from Kline’s Dairy Bar.

From there, Coach Kirby Dean flooded the court with his bench players, getting all 15 healthy Royals playing time.聽 Each team scored 44 points in the second as the men rolled to the win.

Dean was pleased with the first 20 minutes of the game.

“I think in the first half we showed how good we can be,” he said afterwards.聽 “In the second half we showed how bad we can be.聽 Now part of that is Shenandoah, because they played better, but our guys need to play with the same intensity from the first half for a full 40 minutes if we want to finish in the top part of the ODAC.”

Thorne led the way on the night, netting 17 points with six rebounds and four steals.聽 (Fort Washington, MD/Friendly) notched 16 points to go along with his game high five assists.

Freshman (Madison, VA/Madison) added an efficient 12 points, seven rebounds and three steals off the bench. (Telford, PA/Christopher Dock) had 10 points.

The Hornet’s Avery Green led all played with 20 points.

Eastern Mennonite squelched Shenandoah to a 21.9% shooting clip in the decisive first half.聽 The Royals shot 44.7% over the frame and finished 35-74 for 47.3%.聽 SU came in at 35.7%, going 20-56.聽 91短视频 also had a 47-39 edge in rebounds.

Now 1-0, the men head to Arlington this weekend for the Marymount Tip-Off Tournament.聽 The Royals play Springfield Friday at 4:00, and then play either DeSales or host Marymount on Saturday.

Last year Eastern Mennonite finished 22-5 with a starting lineup of five seniors, including ODAC Player of the Year Todd Phillips.聽 Over their four years, the core went 71-38, gathered three of the program’s ten winning campaigns in 45 years, and earned the only trip the men’s team has ever made to the NCAA Championships.

That group is gone, but hopefully has laid a legacy which this year’s men can pick up.聽 As part of that re-tooling process, however, the Runnin Royals must replace 79% of their offense.

“The reality is, those five changed the culture at 91短视频,” Dean said of his departed players, which also includes George Johnson, D.J. Hinson, Orie Pancione and Eli Crawford.聽 “I give them all the credit in the world for what’s happened here.聽 But the good news is that we had some kids who were role players the last year or two who on other teams could have been focal points on the offense.聽 So while we lost a lot we’ve got some guys who can do a lot more than what they’ve done.”

Returning players get a chance to shine

Leading the returners is athletic junior (Front Royal, VA/Skyline).聽 The 6-4 wing shot 51% from the floor last winter, averaging 7.1 points and 4.2 rebounds.

“Andrew is in a zone where he wants to be one of the best players in the league, and I think he has that potential,” said Dean.聽 “He’s just been driven.聽 He’s lifting, he running, he’s just doing all the little things.聽 He’s a prime example of someone who’s put things together off the floor as well.聽 With him, the better student he has become the better player he has become.”

Forward (Telford, PA/Christopher Dock) is another top returner and the only other returning junior on the roster.聽 Longacre has been nagged by injuries at 91短视频 but averaged 3.2 points and 1.5 rebounds last year.聽 Dean said his 6-6 player just needs to stay on the court.

“His big thing is just staying healthy,” explained 91短视频’s ninth-year coach.聽 “If he just can practice for a month straight and then string things together, he’s got a chance to be a really solid ODAC player.聽 He’s going to do all those things that get you to the winner’s circle.”

Sophomores looking forward to playing time

Four sophomores remain from last year’s touted recruiting class and all of them should compete for regular minutes in 91短视频’s up-tempo system.聽 averaged 4.9 points and 1.7 rebounds while getting a handful of spot starts last year.聽 (Roanoke, VA/Northside) (2.2 PPG), (Fredericksburg, VA/Mountain View) (2.4 RPG, 1.6 PPG) and (Woodbridge, VA/Garfield) (2.2 PPG) all expect to show marked improvement as they get more playing time.

Because of the departed seniors, this year’s newcomers will also get more playing time than in years past.聽 Some of the new faces have more experience than others, however, as three of the ten on the varsity roster transferred to 91短视频 from prep schools or other colleges and two more are local players who return to hoops after time away from the game.

Headlining the class are 6-6 (Madison, VA/Madison/Hargrave Military), 6-6 (Alexandria, VA/T.C. Williams/Massanutten Military) and 6-2 (Capitol Heights, MD/Archbishop Carroll).聽 6-7 (Staunton, VA/R.E. Lee/Mary Washington) could also add to the inside game as the Mary Washington transfer learns the 91短视频 system.

Putting the puzzle together

Even with the added height, Dean won’t slow down the style of play which has turned the Royals in the Runnin Royals.

“When you have depth like that,” he said, “if you can get guys to play as hard as they can play then they are going to need to get a rest.聽 But that’s when the other team has the same guy on the floor and getting more worn out.”

91短视频’s coach said the team’s height will add a new dimension this year.

“A key for us is extra possessions,” he explained.聽 “The previous years we’ve done that through turnovers.聽 We’ll still turn some people over, but this year we can also get some of those possessions from offensive rebounds.”

Dean knows that with many of his players finally getting consistent playing time on the collegiate floor there will be growing pains.

“We’re a puzzle that still hasn’t been put together, but has some really nice looking pieces to it,” he said.聽 “I don’t know how good we’ll be in November, but we’ll be so much better in February. 聽So the better we can be in November, the scarier we’ll be in February.聽 We’d be na茂ve to think we’ll be as good as Virginia Wesleyan and Hampden-Sydney at the beginning of the year, but I’m hoping that by tourney time people are looking at the standings and hoping they don’t have to play us in the postseason.”

Exhibition game, season opener, and more info

The Runnin Royals begin that journey at home, taking on Shenandoah on Tuesday, Nov. 15.聽 The men also have a home聽exhibition game on Thursday, Nov. 10, where they will play a team of area alumni, including last year’s starters.

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