Junior Raymond Benton scored a team-high 16 points and graduate student Quintin Hart became the first Mary Baldwin men's basketball player to score his 1,000th career point in Monday's 87-65 non-conference victory over Randolph.

Ten players reached the scoring column as the Fighting Squirrels (5-5) outscored the visitors 48-30 in the final 20 minutes to pull away for the victory.  

Benton led three players into double digits in the scoring column and shared team-high rebounding honors with freshman Aimane Elbouazzaoui (12 points), each with six caroms.  As a team, MBU snared 34 boards and stayed nearly even on the glass with the Wildcats, who had 36 rebounds.

The third player in double digits in scoring was Hart, who had 15 points and drilled a three midway through the second half that lifted him above the 1,000 career point milestone.  Hart is the first player in the four year history of the men's basketball program to score 1,000 career points and the 12th basketball player in MBU history to reach the mark.

Also contributing on offense was grad student Jaden Ignacio (nine points), junior Zach Sloan (eight points) and sophomore Tucker Shifflett (eight points).  Elbouazzaoui chipped in a team-best three assists while sophomore Kevin Weaver, Jr. (2-2 field goals, two steals, two rebounds) and freshman Willem Le Plastrier (two blocked shots) sparked the crowd and teammates with their play off the bench.

The Fighting Squirrels open defense of their 2024 USA South Conference championship Saturday with a battle at North Carolina Wesleyan (2 p.m.).  MBU then returns to the friendly confines of the PAC in Staunton for three home games next week against Brevard (Jan. 7), William Peace (Jan. 10) and Pfeiffer (Jan. 11).