WHEELING, W.Va. – Coach Daniel Mondragon's Senator basketball team took on Alderson Broaddus Wednesday evening in the opening round of the Mountain East Conference basketball tournament.  The game featured 14 lead changes and was tied for over 10 minutes.  AB would outscore D&E 39-16 the final 13:43 to take an 82-61 win.  The Battlers move on to the quarterfinals where they will take on West Virginia State Friday at noon inside WesBanco Arena.  

The two teams started slow with Alderson Broaddus leading 6-5 at the first media time out (14:50).  Neither team would lead by more than three the rest of the first half, with D&E taking two-lead (35-33) to the locker room.  The Battlers and Senators would exchange bucket the first seven minutes of the second half.  A Ben Gilliam lay up with 13:43 remaining put D&E up 45-43.  AB responded by going on a 15-0 run to put them up 58-43 at the 8:39 mark of the closing half.  The Battlers would outscore the Senators 24-18 the rest of the way.

D&E shot just 17.6% as a team from three compared to the Battlers 50%.  Both teams struggled to take care of the ball, the Senators finished with 20 turnovers, AB had 18.

Sam Rolle IV led Davis & Elkins with 15 points.  Gilliam battled foul trouble most of the evening and finished with 10 points and five rebounds.  Teemu Tumanoff and Tylan Hutchison each had nine followed by Bryton Bissainthe eight and Cortney Walton six.

KJ Walker had 18 points for Alderson Broaddus followed by Coryon Rice 16.  Rice was a perfect 4-4 from three.

Mondragon's Senators battled adversity most of season as the injury bug hit the team hard.  The last few weeks D&E has dressed no more than eight players. 

Davis & Elkins finishes the season 8-21 overall, Alderson Broaddus improves to 13-15.