BEREA, Ohio – La Roche men's basketball closed the 2024 portion of the schedule on the road against Baldwin Wallace, but in the end, fell in another close battle, 73-69.

The first half was back-and-forth as the two teams traded scores and sat tied at 20-20 with 11L10 to go.

Over the next five minutes, the Yellow Jackets pulled away slightly, scoring 12 of the next 18 points to put the score at 32-26 with 6:22 on the clock.

The final stretch belonged to the Redhawks, outscoring the hosts 12-5 helping take a 38-37 edge into the half.

Out of the break, Baldwin Wallace regained the lead behind a 6-1 run in the first 2:22 of play, but the red and black countered with a 5-0 run to regain the lead.

Over the next 13 minutes, neither team held an edge by more than a possession, until La Roche took a 63-59 lead with 3:03 remaining in the half.

However, the Yellow Jackets hit a spurt, scoring seven straight to open a 66-63 lead with 1:40 to go.

The red and black would cut the gap one last time to within one, but the hosts used one last 6-1 run to seal the victory down the stretch.
For the game, the Redhawks finished 29-for-58 (50%) from the floor and 6-for-17 (35.3%) from three. From the foul line, they made five of six attempts (83.3%).

On the other side, Baldwin Wallace finished 26-for-55 (47.3%) from the field, 8-for-10 (40%) from deep and 13-for-19 (68.4%) from the free-throw stripe.

The Redhawks had four players enter double figures, led by Joe Starzynski, netting 16 points on 6-for-11 shooting, to go with five rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks.

Bryce Epps contributes 13 points, five rebounds and three assists, while Michael Brooks also scored 13 points with three rebounds and two assists.

Isaiah Thomas was the fourth in double figures with 10 points.

La Roche returns to the court in the New Year, opening 2025 in AMCC play against Pitt-Bradford on Saturday, Jan. 4. Opening tip is set for 2 p.m.