EMORY, Va. - The Roanoke College Women's Basketball Team (5-14, 5-10 ODAC) needed all 40 minutes of play Tuesday evening to defeat Emory & Henry College (2-15, 1-14 ODAC) Tuesday evening. The Maroons escaped the John Rutledge King Center with a 71-68 victory in an Old Dominion Athletic Conference thriller.
The contest also served as the Wasps' annual Play4Kay game, raising funds and awareness for breast cancer. E&H raised over $400 on the night to support the cause.
Roanoke quickly got out to its largest lead of the first half, going up 9-3 at the 16:48 mark. Emory & Henry responded with an 11-5 run to tie the contest at 14 points apiece. With the score tied at 20, the Wasps went on an 8-1 run covering just 1:26 to take a 28-21 lead. The Maroons scored nine of the final 12 points of the half including a last-second three pointer by Rachel Dellahunt to give the visitors a 41-36 advantage going into the break.
The second half began much like the first half ended. Roanoke extended its lead to eight (48-40 with 17:35 remaining) but a 14-3 scoring spurt by E&H put the Wasps ahead 54-51. Neither team would lead by more than four points the rest of the way.
Down by four, Emory & Henry scored five straight to take a 66-65 lead with just 1:37 left on the clock. The Maroons responded with a two-point bucket of their own for the game-winning basket. The two teams battled for the final 20 seconds but Roanoke came away with the 71-68 victory, scoring six of the final eight points of the contest.
Paxton Gwin led all scorers with 21 points and added 10 rebounds to complete the double-double for the Maroons. Tatum McKee recorded 14 points and six boards while Dellahunt finished the game with 10 points and seven steals. Taylor Duggins had eight points five rebounds and seven assists on the night.
Emory & Henry was paced by senior forward Ashlyn Baird (Boone, N.C.) with 12 points and 10 rebounds for a double-double. Freshmen guards Michelle Williams (Stokesdale, N.C.) and Kristie Langley (Staley, N.C.) each posted 19 points, four rebounds and three assists in the contest.
The Wasps shot 42.6 percent (26-for-61) for the game and were 12-for-27 (44.4 percent) from beyond the arc. E&H won the battle of the boards by a 43-37 margin but suffered from 21 turnovers that Roanoke scored 23 points off compared to just eight for the Wasps.
Emory & Henry will travel to Lynchburg College on Friday to take on the Hornets in ODAC play. Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m.
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