GRANTHAM, Pa. – The Emory & Henry College Women's Basketball Team (23-6) made history Friday evening as it defeated Roger Williams University (23-6) in the First Round of the 2018 NCAA Division III Tournament by a 66-55 score. It was the first-ever NCAA Tournament game for Emory & Henry, and with the victory, the Wasps set a new school record for wins in a season at 23.

The Basics
FINAL SCORE – Emory & Henry 66, Roger Williams 55
LOCATION – Grantham, Pennsylvania
VENUE – Jordan Court at Hitchcock Arena
RECORDS – Emory & Henry (23-6, 13-3 ODAC); Roger Williams (23-6, 15-3 Commonwealth Coast)

How It Happened
- Roger Williams got out to an 8-2 lead at the 7:38 mark of the opening period but E&H responded with a 13-2 run for a 15-10 advantage. The Hawks closed the frame with 10 of the final 12 points to go back ahead, 20-17.
- Early in the second, RWU pushed the margin out to 25-18, but E&H fought to take a 33-28 lead at halftime thanks to a 10-1 run which began with back-to-back fast-break layups.
- The Wasps extended their lead to nine (37-28) coming out of the intermission but the Hawks responded with five in a row to trim the margin to 37-33 with 7:00 on the clock. Emory & Henry got the first double-digit lead of the game, 45-34, late in the quarter forcing a Roger Williams timeout.
- The Hawks answered with a run of their own, closing the gap to 49-45 going into the final 10 minutes of play.
- Emory & Henry gained total control of the game in the fourth quarter, running their four point lead to 17 (63-46) thanks to a 14-1 run which covered over six and a half minutes. The Wasps were able to get all 12 of their players in the game down the stretch as they cruised to the 66-55 victory.

Emory & Henry Individual Leaders
- Junior forward Taylor Blevins (Abingdon, Va.) led the way with 17 points, including 13 in the first half. She added eight rebounds and three assists on the night.
- Sophomore forward Kara Stafford (Bristol, Tenn.) had 11 points and two steals while sophomore forward Sydney McKinney (Big Stone Gap, Va.) chipped in 10 points, six rebounds, three steals, three blocks and two assists.
- Junior guard Tessa Johnston (High Point, N.C.) and junior forward Laken Blackburn (Wilkesboro, N.C.) added six points each off the bench as Johnston pulled down four boards and swiped two steals.
- Junior guard Chloe Harris (Bristol, Va.) dished out a team-best six assists to go along with four points.

Roger Williams Individual Leaders
- Teagan Dunn posted a double-double to lead all players with 18 points and 12 rebounds and contributed five blocks.
- Gabby Jerahian put up 12 points, five rebounds and three assists while Sam Leone scored 10 points off the bench.

A Deeper Look
- Emory & Henry shot 45 percent (27-for-60) from the field, but struggled at the line, converting just 11-of-20 (55%) of its free throws.
- Roger Williams hit 19-of-60 (31.7%) of its shots with five makes from long range. The Hawks were 12-of-18 (66.7%) at the stripe.
- RWU held a 45-35 rebounding advantage and an 18-12 mark on the offensive glass, but E&H made the most of its offensive boards, with a 14-4 lead on second-chance points.
- The Wasps continued to be productive down low, putting up a 46-12 lead on points in the paint and scored 26 points off 20 Hawk turnovers.

The Interviews

Up Next
- Emory & Henry advances to face No. 12 Messiah on Saturday evening at 6:00 p.m., in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament.

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