Mary Baldwin men's basketball earned a hard-fought 64-61 victory over Bridgewater College on Saturday afternoon, holding on late after building an early cushion.

Mary Baldwin came out fast, jumping to a 13-point lead behind a 9-0 run. The Fighting Squirrels capitalized at the free-throw line, outshooting the Eagles 12-4 from the charity stripe. Sophomore Rony Hogarth led the way early, scoring 11 of his 15 points in the first half.

The momentum carried into the second half, as the Fighting Squirrels held a 57-50 lead with 7:33 remaining. Bridgewater answered with a late surge, going on a 9-0 run to take a brief lead with 2:15 left. Eagles guard Jahmir Brown sparked the comeback, scoring 14 of his game-high 20 points in the second half, highlighted by an athletic scooping layup that energized
Bridgewater.

However, it wasn't enough to seal the comeback. Sophomore point guard Marquis Dunklin provided a spark off the bench for Mary Baldwin, scoring 13 points in the second half. Dunklin finished with a team-high 18 points, shooting 5 of 8 after halftime and knocking down two 3-pointers.

Defensively, the Fighting Squirrels made life difficult inside, blocking five shots. Junior Jamal Ukaegbo anchored the effort, recording a season-high four blocks.

The win extends Mary Baldwin's winning streak to four games. The Fighting Squirrels hit the road next for an exhibition matchup at High Point University on Tuesday, Dec. 16, at 7 p.m.

Leading Scorers:
Marquis Dunklin-18
Rony Hogarth-15
Raymond Benton-8

Rebound Leaders:
Raymond Benton-8
CJ Goode-6

Block leader:
Jamal Ukaegbo-4