Playing in its first game of the 2006-07 season, the Centre College men's basketball team got off to strong start defeating the University of Virginia-Wise 84-60 on the first day of the Pepsi/Sodexho Invitation Tournament, hosted by Berea College, Friday, Nov. 17, in Berea, Ky.
The Colonels, which have now won their season-opening game in six consecutive seasons, start the season 1-0, while Virginia-Wise falls to 1-3 in the early going.
The first half saw Centre shoot the ball extremely well making 17 of its 27 shots (63.0%), including eight of 13 (61.5%) from long range, to take a 47-31 lead into the intermission. The Cavaliers were limited to 43.8% (14-32) and did not make a three-point shot the entire half.
The Colonels continued to shoot the ball well in the second half making 11 of 20 overall and five of eight from beyond the three-point arc, while holding Virginia-Wise to only 32.0% (8-25) shooting.
Senior forward Matt Jacobson (Lagrange, Ky.) led four Colonels in double figures with 18 points on six of nine shooting from the floor. Jacobson also made four of his six three-point attempts to go along with four rebounds, three assists and a steal.
Senior center John Patterson (Lexington, Ky.) posted Centre's first double-double of the season scoring 12 points and grabbing a game-high 15 rebounds in just over 32 minutes of action.
Junior guard Matt Nestheide (Edgewood, Ky.) and sophomore forward T.C. Thomason (Russellville, Ky.) also finished in double-figures. Nestheide scored 14 points and had seven assists, while Thomason scored 12 points in his first start in a Centre uniform.
Zydrunas Rackauskas led all scorers with 24 points for the Cavaliers. Rackauskas also pulled down a team-high 13 rebounds in the loss. Jarred Soles was the only other player in double figures for Virginia-Wise, scoring 15 points.
Centre will be back in action, Saturday, Nov. 18, when they face the host, Berea, in the championship game of the Pepsi/Sodexho Invitational Tournament at 3 p.m. in Berea, Ky.
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