SALEM, Va. – The #7 Roanoke College Women's Basketball Team (18-9) used a 7-0 run late in the game on to rally past #2 Emory & Henry College (22-4) by a 73-72 score in the quarterfinals of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference Tournament Friday evening.
The Wasps' early exit in the tournament comes on the heels of their winningest regular season in program history. It also marked an end to an 11-game winning streak for E&H.
The Basics
FINAL SCORE – #7 Roanoke 73, #2 Emory & Henry 72
LOCATION – Salem, Virginia
VENUE – Salem Civic Center
RECORDS – Emory & Henry (22-4, 15-3 ODAC); Roanoke (18-9, 9-9 ODAC)
How It Happened
- Emory & Henry scored the first five points of the game but Roanoke answered with five of its own to tie the contest. The Wasps then went on a 9-2 run to lead, 14-7, with 3:56 on the clock and 14-9 at the end of the opening period.
- Down 23-18 with 5:30 left before the intermission, RC went on a 9-0 run to take its first lead of the game, 27-23. The Wasps scored six in a row to go back up 29-27, but a three-pointer on the final possession of the half put the Maroons up 30-29 at the break.
- The squads traded baskets over the first 3:30 of the third period before Emory & Henry went on a 16-4 run for its largest lead of the game, 51-39. Roanoke responded with the last eight points of the quarter to draw things back to a two-possession game, 53-49.
- E&H pushed the lead back out to seven (64-57) with 3:13 to play but Roanoke went on a 15-3 run which was capped by seven in a row to take a 72-67 lead with 16 seconds left. The Maroons held on for the, 73-72, victory despite a pair of late baskets by the Wasps.
Emory & Henry Individual Leaders
- Senior forward Taylor Blevins (Abingdon, Va.) led all scorers with 17 points and added five rebounds and two assists.
- Junior forward Sydney McKinney (Big Stone Gap, Va.) had 15 points and nine rebounds while junior forward Kara Stafford (Bristol, Tenn.) notched 15 points, seven rebounds and two assists.
Roanoke Individual Leaders
- Whitney Hopson paced the Maroons with 17 points, going 11-for-16 from the free throw line, three rebounds and three assists.
- Ayann Scarborough posted 15 points, two assists and two steals while Renee Alquiza had 14 points, eight boards and three assists.
A Deeper Look
- Emory & Henry shot 22-for-55 (40%) for the game but made just 25 percent (7-for-28) of its three-point shots. The Wasps were an efficient 21-for-27 (77.8%) at the free throw line.
- Roanoke hit 42.3 percent (22-of-52) of its field goals including five from long range. The Maroons scored 24 points at the stripe, shooting 72.7 percent.
- RC held a 37-32 rebounding advantage and outscored E&H by a 32-28 margin on points in the paint.
Up Next
- Emory & Henry will now await the announcement of the field of 64 teams for the NCAA Division III Tournament on Monday afternoon.
- The Wasps have been the No. 2-ranked team in the South Region in each of the three ranking periods of the season.
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