Varence had a historically brilliant two-game showcase to feature his athleticism and scoring ability during a pair of Panthers’ conference victories.
He was just one point shy of back-to-back 20/20 games. An extremely rare feat with just one 20/20 performance, Varence set the single-game conference record and the Ohio Dominican school record with 25 rebounds vs. D&E on Thursday.
Coincidentally, Varence broke the rebounding record of former Davis & Elkins big man Rickenjee Bellevue, who hauled in 22 boards vs. Cedarville in 2017. Eighteen of his 25 rebounds were of the defensive variety and he made 9-of-16 shots from the field, including both three-pointers attempted.
What might be the most impressive note from his performance against the Senators is the efficiency. The junior had 23 points and 25 rebounds in only 27 minutes as the Panthers were able to eventually pull away for a 30-point margin of victory.
ODU received some similar production from Varence in a close finish against Alderson Broaddus. Going head-to-head against AB’s strong rebounder Brandon Simmons, Varence showed out with a 19 point, 21-rebound game.
Varence knocked down all six of his free throws and handed out a pair of assists while shooting 6-of-11.
Varence averaged a staggering 21 points and 23 rebounds in both wins while shooting almost 56 percent from the floor. He also contributed four blocked shots.
Varence was a second team all-conference selection as a sophomore, ODU’s first season as a Great Midwest member. In nine games played, he is now the league’s leading rebounder (11.6 rpg) and ranks 16th in scoring at 14.3 points per game.