EMORY, Va. - The Emory & Henry College Women's Basketball Team is off to a 4-1 start this season. Under Head Coach Anne Crutchfield, the Wasps are looking to continue their success in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. The Wasps have reached the ODAC Tournament Semifinals for the past three years, but have been unable to break through and make it to the championship game.
E&H is averaging 67.8 points per game, the third-highest in the league so far. The team is full of efficient shooters, as it is tied for the lead in field goal percentage at 44.1 percent. The Wasps also have the most assists and steals per game during their five-game stretch. Overall, E&H will look to its balance and versatility as the main offensive threats this year.
Taylor Blevins (Abingdon, Va.) continues to be the go-to player as the 6-1 junior is averaging 12.2 points per game on 51.9% shooting. A two-time All-ODAC selection, opponents will focus their defensive schemes on Blevins. The defensive focus has opened up windows for other post players to get into the action. Sophomore Sydney McKinney (Big Stone Gap, Va.) is posting 11.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game and has been a dominant force down low this year. Junior Laken Blackburn (Wilkesboro, N.C.) posted a career-high 20 points in only 15 minutes earlier this season, while sophomore Kara Stafford (Bristol, Tenn.) has been dynamic off the bench for the Wasps. Sophomore Peyton Williams (Saltville, Va.) has started every game at forward and has posted two games with 12 or more points.
At guard, junior Myesha Logan (Roanoke, Va.) has taken over for four-year starter, Megan Jacoby. As the starting point guard, Logan is averaging 5.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game. The team will look to Logan to reach their ultimate goal of winning an ODAC Championship. Junior guard Tessa Johnston (High Point, N.C.) is third on the team in scoring at 10.5 points per contest. Three of the four games in which she's played, she has eclipsed the double-digit mark in scoring. Fourth-year junior Chole Harris (Bristol, Va.) is scoring six points per game and is shooting a career-best coming off the bench. If she continues the trend, opponents will have a hard time deciding who to put their main defensive focus on. Junior Jada Penn (Radford, Va.) has been a defensive stopper off the bench and the Wasps will look to her to pick up key defensive stops during ODAC play.
Freshmen Lexy Vance (Honaker, Va.), Kylea Cooper (Hickory, N.C.), Josie Salyer (Mount Carmel, Tenn.) and Lauren Salyer (Kinsport, Tenn.) have all added some quality depth to a team that has major aspirations this year.
Emory & Henry travels to Shenandoah University for its first ODAC game Saturday, December 2 at 4:30 p.m. The Hornets currently sit at 2-2 on the season.
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