The Guilford College men’s basketball team tipped off its season Friday, Nov.7, with an intense road matchup against nationally ranked Mary Washington. The Quakers came out strong, building an early 15-point lead and showing flashes of dominance on both ends of the court. But despite the promising start, the game slipped away in the final minutes, ending in a narrow two-point loss—a tough result for a team that knows it has the potential to compete with the best.

While the final score didn’t go their way, the Quakers’ performance made one thing clear: Guilford basketball is here to compete.

For senior guard Dawson Edwards, the team’s mindset heading into the opener was about unity, execution and belief in their preparation.

“The team’s mindset was to execute the things that we’ve been working on in practice, and to play together,” Edwards said. “We know that the rankings may be doubting us, but there’s no difference from any other year when they doubted us.”

From the opening tip, Guilford’s energy set the tone. Their defensive pressure forced turnovers and created early scoring opportunities, helping the Quakers build a double-digit lead. But the momentum shifted late in the game as foul trouble began to take its toll.

“We did play with a high motor as we wanted to,” Edwards explained. “But we were a second late from making the plays that needed to be made. We also had a few more mental mistakes than our opponent, with three of our starters fouling out and allowing Mary Washington too many free throws at the rim.”

Despite those challenges, the Quakers remained composed and fought back to the very end—a reflection of their resilience and commitment to one another.

When asked about nearly upsetting a ranked opponent, Edwards kept things in perspective, emphasizing that rankings don’t define outcomes.

“Being close to beating a ranked team wasn’t very surprising as it’s the first game of the season, and there’s no way to tell how good teams really are that early,” he said. “At the end of the day, ranking or no ranking, you still have to play the game and win.”

Edwards also spoke about his personal goals for the season, focusing on leadership and consistency.

“My personal goals are to bring my very best every single day for my teammates and strive to achieve something greater than I have in my previous years,” he said.

As for the team, Edwards said the group’s goals reach beyond just winning games.

“Our team goals are to be the very best that we can, compete at a high level and continue our legacy of winning with high character.”

That legacy is something Guilford basketball has built over years of sustained success. Even in a rebuilding or transitional year, the Quakers pride themselves on effort, defense and togetherness—values that were on display in the season opener.

And while early losses can be tough, Edwards believes this group’s ceiling is sky-high.

“The potential of this team is through the roof, and we really care about outworking our opponents,” he said. “As the year advances, I believe that it will become evident that we are a high-level basketball program and not a team to be looked down upon.”

He added that Mary Washington “felt the intensity that we play with,” and expressed confidence that Guilford will soon be competing at the level of a national championship-caliber program.

With the season just beginning, the narrow loss serves as both a lesson and a source of motivation. The Quakers may not have walked away with a win, but they showed the kind of grit and determination that defines their program.

“As the season progresses, I am sure that we will be competing at the level of a national championship organization,” Edwards said.

Guilford returns home looking to build on that opening performance and turn hard-fought effort into early-season victories. And if their first game is any indication, the Quakers are poised to make noise once again in the ODAC and beyond.