In the men’s one-point win against Shenandoah Feb. 3, Jones showed just how clutch he is when he drew the foul and hit the game-winning free throw.  Three days later against Randolph-Macon, he broke a 65-65 tie with four straight points in the final minute to propel Eastern Mennonite to a 73-71 win. For his efforts, he was named the Royals Athlete of the Week.

“My expectation is that he’ll be first team all-league because there’s no reason for him not to be,” said Coach .

Jones was never the go-to player for his high school team. Dean recalls that when he was recruiting Jones in high school, he was the fourth option behind his twin brother (Charles Town, W.V./Washington).

Jones says his role  is much different than what was expected of him last year.

“My role now is facilitating the score whenever I can,” said Jones, who is a captain.  “Everyone always comes to me with questions and I like it.  I was vocal last year but this year I don’t have an option but to be, so I’m way more vocal.”

He is averaging 10.1 points, 2.9 assists, 2.3 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game.  He is also one of the best three-point shooters in the ODAC at 47.4%.

“Personally I thought I couldn’t really shoot last year,” Jones admitted.  “So all summer I worked on ball handling and shooting.  Now I’m shooting close to 50 percent from three so that really improved and I have more control over the ball this year.  Defensively, Coach said I’m one of the top on-ball defenders so I think that improved, too.  But I always want to get better at defense and getting other people involved.  I don’t like feeling too selfish on the court but apparently I need to be that way for us to win.”

Maleke did not come up with this conclusion. His coaches did.

“To me he’s the most important player,” Dean said.  “We do efficiency ratings on our kids based on criteria established by the NBA where we plug in all of their stats and it produces a number that says how efficient they are. He’s been our most efficient player all year long. That’s a nice way of saying he’s probably our most important or most valuable player. He kind of needs to grow into that role because he’s never been that guy. But Maleke is coming into his own and he needs to continue to do that because he is really talented. He can’t just settle for being a good player; he has to be the player of the year in our league next year. In my opinion, he has that kind of talent.”

Preseason polling ranked the and the in the (ODAC).

The men play their first conference game Nov. 29 at Randolph and the women host Lynchburg Nov. 24.

A for men’s only, women’s only or a combo of all men’s and women’s home games are offered. 91����Ƶ’s home games routinely host large crowds, with an average of 393 fans for the women’s games, a statistic that leading the ODAC and puts 91����Ƶ 39th in the nation among D-III teams. The men averaged 757 for their games, third in the ODAC and 28th out of 417 D-III team s in the nation.

Fans will definitely want to cheer the women on at home:  the Royals (88-22 over the past four years) also take a 30-game home winning streak into this season, with a 54-49 setback against Elizabethtown on Jan. 7, 2013, standing as their last loss in Yoder Arena.

Rheinheimer back for senior campaign

Despite the loss of five seniors, the ODAC’s coaches aren’t expecting much of a fall off for 91����Ƶ’s women.

Eastern Mennonite, riding a string of three straight NCAA Tournament appearances, received three first-place votes and totaled 106 points in the voting.  Lynchburg College earned six first-place votes and 114 total points to claim the top spot.

The Royals had a nice postseason run in 2014-15, earning a thrilling win over LaRoche in the NCAA First Round before falling to eventual national champion Thomas More. Coach claimed his third straight and fourth overall ODAC Coach of the Year award

The Royals return three starters, including the ODAC Player of the Year and All-America forward (Manheim, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite).  A 5-10 senior, Rheinheimer scored 20.0 points with 7.8 rebounds per game last year. She was named ODAC Player of the Year and was a D3hoops.com All-America Fourth Team honoree. She was recently named to the D3hoops.com Preseason All-America First Team.

The women also return senior point guard (Conestoga, Pa./Penn Manor) (2.3ppg, 4.1rpg, 2.2apg) and sophomore guard/forward (Covington, Va./Covington) (6.3ppg, 2.0rpg).

Jones twins lead young squad

As could be expected, the ODAC coaches see that 91����Ƶ’s basketball men have some rebuilding to do.  A year after finishing fourth in the standings, the Runnin Royals were tabbed to finish eighth in the nation’s toughest conference.

“Our goal is to improve every game no matter what happens,” said coach , the 2010 ODAC Coach of the Year.  “Our kids are mature enough to understand that we’re in a really, really tough league, but if we can keep everyone together, we can be one of the best teams in the league again, and probably sooner rather than later.”

Eastern Mennonite returns just six men from last year’s roster, all sophomores.  Including All-ODAC performers David Falk and Marcel Crump, the men lost six seniors from a 17-10 squad.  Five of them started during the postseason run into the ODAC Semifinals.

(Charles Town, W.V./Washington) started 14 games as a freshman in 2014-15, and was fifth on the team with a 7.6 scoring average.  He shot 36.2% from three-point range and scored in double figures in ten games.  His twin brother, (Charles Town, W.V./Washington), expects to elevate after being the backup point guard last year.  (Warrenton, Va./Kettle Run) shot a team-best 40.0% from outside and averaged 3.8 points per game.

The Runnin’ Royals open the new year Saturday, Nov. 14, hosting Virginia University of Lynchburg 30 minutes following the completion of the women’s game, or approximately 6:30 p.m.  The men play just two games in Yoder Arena over the first semester.  They also play at D-I James Madison University on Tuesday, Nov. 24.

The two teams will meet again in Bridgewater on Feb. 18, the second-to-last game of the regular season.

The visiting Eagles made a quick start, with big man Logan Seacrist hitting a pair of three pointers and All-ODAC forward Ed Reddick putting in nine points on the way to a 25-10 lead at the 9:08 mark.

91����Ƶ then scored on their next five possessions to trim a few points off the deficit, and the men caught fire over the final minutes of the half.  (Capitol Heights, Md./Archbishop Carroll) connected on a pair of free throws with 2:45 remaining which triggered a 7-2 run. The Royals were within 35-29 at halftime and the late surge carried over into the second.

Over the opening 1:29 of the final frame, 91����Ƶ made three shots while Bridgewater was saddled with two turnovers and a missed jumper.  (Charles Town, W.V./Washington) drilled a triple to cap the 7-0 spurt, giving Eastern Mennonite their first lead of the night at 36-35.  It also highlighted a massive 26-10 swing, erasing BC’s early lead.

The edge stayed around two or three possessions until a prolonged 8-0 run by Bridgewater flipped the visitors back in front, 53-51 with 7:26 to play. The teams traded leads for the next two minutes until two free throws from BC put them on top 60-58 with 4:58 left.

A massive alley-oop dunk then signaled the beginning of the end for the Eagles. On 91����Ƶ’s next possession, Williams drove into the lane and drew a double team. He floated a high pass which  (Madison, Va./Madison County) threw down to erupt the home crowd and start a decisive 11-0 run.

Over the next 2:22, each of 91����Ƶ’s five starters scored in the paint, while Bridgewater came up empty. Finally with 1:17 remaining, Williams made a free throw to end the run, giving the men a commanding 69-60 lead.

The Eagles turned to fouling, but the Royals were up to the task. The men sank all eight of their attempts from the stripe over the final 48 seconds to win by their biggest margin of the night, 77-67.

Eastern Mennonite dominated the second half, shooting 48 percent to BC’s 31 percent to out-score their rivals 48-32. For the game they had a 40-to-37 percent shooting edge and won the battle of the boards, 48-41.

All five of 91����Ƶ’s starters scored in double figures, as they were good for 74 of the team’s 77 points.  (Richmond, Va./Highland Springs) had a team high 17 points and was 7-7 from the free throw line.  Falk charted another double double with 18 rebounds (including eight offensive), 14 points and three blocks.

Williams and  (Alexandria, Va./T.C. Williams) each scored 15 points, while Jones tallied 13.

BC’s Reddick finished with 24 points, 11 rebounds and a game high four assists. Seacrist came in with 12 points and Kyle Welty knocked in 11.

Eastern Mennonite improves to 10-4 with the win while Bridgewater slides to 8-6. Both teams are now 3-2 in the ODAC.

The Royals are on the road this Saturday, playing at Hampden-Sydney at 2 p.m.

The teams played a back-and-forth first half until the host Hornets ended the period on a 13-6 streak to lead 41-34 at the break. Eastern Mennonite shot just 36 percent over the opening 20 minutes.

That trend changed quickly in the second. (Richmond, Va./Highland Springs) hit back-to-back three pointers to give 91����Ƶ the lead, and center  (Madison, Va./Madison County) converted a three point play to cap a 14-0 run which put the men in front 53-45. Crump had 10 points during the game-changing stretch.

The Royals then heated up from outside, as  (Charles Town, W.V./Washington) nailed back-to-back triples to push the edge to 63-50.  Eastern Mennonite led by as many as 15 before Shenandoah started their comeback over the final five minutes.

A 12-1 run sliced the lead to 75-71 with 1:57 to play.  (Alexandria, Va./T.C. Williams) had a big answer, however, as his layup changed the momentum and put the edge back at six points. That took the air out of SU’s sails and the Royals closed on a 6-2 run, including four free throws, to earn the 10-point win.

91����Ƶ out-shot their hosts 43-to-38 percent, and also shot a season-best 10-19 for 53 percent from three point range. The men grabbed 23 offensive rebounds en route to a 56-36 domination of the glass.

Yates led a balanced attack with 18 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. Crump finished with 16 counters. Falk had 13 points and a season-high 18 boards. Jones hit four triples and charted 14 points.

Jared Carithers led the Hornets with 23 points while Malcolm Clark added 18 points, seven rebounds, six steals and four assists.

Eastern Mennonite improves to 9-3 on the season, including 2-1 in the ODAC, while Shenandoah slides to 1-11 and 0-3. The Royals return home on Saturday for their first game in Yoder Arena since Dec. 16. They host surprising Lynchburg College at 7 p.m. At 8-4, LC hasn’t lost a game by more than four points this season.

The win over the Bobcats (6-4) gives Eastern Mennonite a quality win over a Capital Athletic Conference team who had already beaten two ODAC teams: nationally ranked Randolph-Macon and Randolph College.

The men took a bit to get their offense in gear and gave up back-to-back threes to quickly fall into a 6-0 hole. Their largest deficit was eight points, where it still sat at 26-18 with 8:29 to go in the half.

 (Capitol Heights, Md./Archbishop Carroll) buried a three pointer to get the Royals rolling, however, and  (Front Royal, Va./Warren County) then scored six of 91����Ƶ’s next eight points as they came roaring back. A  (Richmond, Va./Highland Springs) layup gave the men their first lead of the night at 33-31 with 3:59 showing.  In all Eastern Mennonite ended the first period on a 22-11 run to take a 40-37 edge into halftime.

 (Charles Town, WVa./Washington) nailed a pair of triples to open the second as the Royals extended their lead to 47-39. The Bobcats eventually snuck back to within three points at 55-52, but 91����Ƶ turned on the defense to hold FSU scoreless for the next six minutes.

By the time Crump threw down a dunk to cap a 13-0 run, the men had their biggest lead of the night at 68-52 with 3:33 to play. The outcome was never in doubt from that point, as Eastern Mennonite won their third straight game.

The Royals had a sizable shooting advantage, hitting 45.3 percent of their attempts compared to just 36.5 percent for the Bobcats.  The men were also 7-19 from long range compared to 6-25 for FSU. The free throw line was again a deciding factor, as 91����Ƶ was 22-38 while Frostburg State rarely visited the stripe and finished 8-11.

Crump scored a season high 23 to lead all scorers. He also charted his second double double of the season with 12 rebounds as he was named the MVP of the Rotary of Frederick Holiday Classic. Crump averaged 20.0 points 8.5 rebounds for the weekend.

Jones finished with a career high 16 points and he hit four three pointers. The freshman was also named to the All-Tournament Team as he averaged 12.5 points and hit 7-of-16 treys in the two games.

 (Madison, Va./Madison County) was good for nine points and nine rebounds while (Alexandria, Va./T.C. Williams) racked up eight assists with seven boards. Williams scored nine times while Steele finished with eight.

Breon Powell led Frostburg State with 14 points and seven rebounds. Nick Smoot also scored 14, while Jabari Kamau had 12 and seven.

After playing seven games over the first 21 days of December, Eastern Mennonite has an extended break for the holidays. The Royals won’t play again until traveling to Shenandoah on Jan. 7, a break of 17 days.

91����Ƶ finished the Don Glick Classic with a 1-1 mark and wrap-up the weekend with a 5-3 record overall. Milligan, who received votes in the National Athletic Intercollegiate Association National Poll this week, slipped to 10-4 on the year with losses to 91����Ƶ and Bridgewater College.

Eastern Mennonite and Milligan were locked in a tight first half until  (Alexandria, Va./T. C. Williams) kick-started a late run which put the Royals up 40-32 at halftime. The senior scored 11 points, including nine in a row, in an 18-10 run which broke a 22-all tie.

But led by Mickey Woods, the Buffaloes came stampeding back in the second.  At one point he hit back-to-back three pointers near the end of a 25-16 run, which gave Milligan a 57-56 lead just six minutes into the final frame. The Tennessee team had their biggest lead at 74-68 after a James Songster three ball with 7:22 to play.

The Royals took over from there. The men held their opponents scoreless for nearly four minutes, scoring nine unanswered during the stretch.  (Richmond, Va./Highland Springs) capped the surge with a three-point play, putting 91����Ƶ in front 77-74 with 4:09 to go.

Woods hit another three pointer to tie things back up. Yates converted a three-point play of his own to give the men a little breathing room at 82-79 with 2:40 left, but the teams continued trading points. Morgan McLeod hit a jumper to pull the Buffaloes back within one with 1:39 to go, as 91����Ƶ led 84-83.

Both teams came up empty on their next possessions, but Crump rebounded his own missed shot with 34 seconds remaining to keep the Royals in charge. A quick foul put  (Charles Town, WVa./Washington) at the line, and the freshman hit both free throws to push the edge to three. Woods missed a three ball and  (Madison, Va./Madison County) essentially sealed it by grabbing the rebound, getting fouled and then hitting both free throws with eight seconds left. Milligan missed a quick three and let Jones run out the time as he grabbed the final rebound.

Although 91����Ƶ struggled to slow down the Buffaloes, they out-shot them 52.6-to-45.2 percent. Milligan his eight three pointers, but the men repeatedly got to the foul line to keep the edge. They were 24-40 from the stripe compared to 19-29 for MC.

Yates finished off a multi-faceted night with 22 points, eight rebounds, five steals and three assists. Falk hit a double double with 20 points and 13 rebounds while Crump added 17 counters. Jones scored nine in his second-straight start while  (Capitol Heights, Md./Archbishop Carroll) added four assists.

Woods led all players with 31 points, including 6-of-9 shooting from outside.  Julian Bailey had 14 points and 13 rebounds off the bench.