EMORY, Va. – The Emory & Henry College Women's Basketball Team (8-7, 3-3 ODAC) earned its sixth win in eight games Saturday afternoon as it defeated Shenandoah University (5-10, 1-5 ODAC) by an 80-71 score at the John Rutledge King Center.
The opening minutes of the game were close, but Emory & Henry went on a 12-0 run to take a 24-11 lead with 9:44 on the clock. The Wasps would lead by as much as 14 points in the opening 20 minutes, but a 10-2 run by the Hornets closed the gap to 35-29 with 3:07 to go before the break. E&H was able to score five of the final seven points of the period, taking a 40-31 lead into the locker room.
Six straight points by the Wasps to open the second half gave them their largest lead of the game at 46-31. SU responded with a 12-4 run to trim the margin to single digits with 14:05 left to play. The two teams traded baskets for the majority of the second half, with Emory & Henry holding a 75-64 lead with 2:50 to go. The Hornets scored the next seven points to trim the margin to just four, but a three-pointer by senior guard Kristie Langley (Staley, N.C.) and a layup by sophomore guard Megan Jacoby (Richmond, Va.) in the final minute of the contest sealed the 80-71 win for the Wasps.
Emory & Henry placed five players in double figures led by junior forward Karina Farr (Graham, Wash.) with a game-high 20 points on seven-for-nine shooting from the floor. She also added eight rebounds to her tally. Jacoby notched 15 points, four assists and six steals while junior forward Tamara Brewster (Morrow, Ga.) chipped in 14 points, three rebounds and four steals. Langley had 13 points, six rebounds and three steals as well.
As a team, the Wasps shot 56.9 percent (33-for-58) for the game including a gaudy 17-for-26 (65.4%) for the second half. E&H led by a 48-34 margin on points in the paint and scored 22 points on fast breaks. Emory & Henry struggled at the free throw line, making only 12-of-23 (52.2%) of their attempts while 17 second-half turnovers kept the margin close.
Shenandoah, which was paced by Erin French's 15-point, 14-rebound performance, had five players hit double digits. Kirstyn Arcata notched 15 points and five assists while Ashley McGhee added 11. Holly Chittenden put up 10 points, five rebounds and four assists while Olivia Callan had 10 points and four assists.
The Hornets went 49.1 percent (27-for-55) from the field and hit five three-pointers. SU also connected on 12-of-17 (70.6%) of its free throw attempts, and led by a 14-6 margin on second-chance points.
Emory & Henry will take to the road on Wednesday for an Old Dominion Athletic Conference contest against Guilford College. Tipoff between the Wasps and Quakers is set for 7:00 p.m., at Ragan-Brown Field House.
---E&H---
-photo courtesy of Caleb Johnston, E&H '15