EMORY, Va. – The Emory & Henry College Women's Basketball Team (10-1, 4-0 ODAC) rang in the New Year with a convincing 76-59 Old Dominion Athletic Conference win over Virginia Wesleyan University (2-9, 1-4 ODAC) Thursday afternoon at home.

Senior forward Sydney McKinney (Big Stone Gap, Va.) led all players with 18 points, and eclipsed the 1,000-point plateau for her career with her first basket of the third period. Additionally, it was the program's 500th victory in the NCAA Division III era (since 1982-83).

The Basics
FINAL SCORE – Emory & Henry 76, Virginia Wesleyan 59
LOCATION – Emory, Virginia
VENUE – Bob Johnson Court at the John Rutledge King Center
RECORDS – Emory & Henry (10-1, 4-0 ODAC); Virginia Wesleyan (2-9, 1-4 ODAC)

How It Happened
- Emory & Henry jumped out to a 13-2 lead at the 5:34 mark of the opening period but Virginia Wesleyan answered with a 12-3 run to close the gap to 16-14 early in the second quarter.
- The Wasps ran their margin back to three possessions late in the half, taking a 37-30 advantage into the locker room.
- After VWU scored the opening basket of the third frame, E&H went on a 12-0 run including the basket which put McKinney across the threshold. She now sits with 1,004 career points.
- Late in the third, Emory & Henry extended its lead to 21 with nine points in a row, holding a 60-40 advantage with 10 minutes to play.
- The Wasps went to their bench early in the fourth, allowing all 12 players to get at least six minutes of conference action. E&H cruised to the 76-59 victory.

Emory & Henry Individual Leaders
- In addition to her 18 points, McKinney added six rebounds, four assists, three blocks and two steals.
- Senior forward Peyton Williams (Saltville, Va.) had 16 points, four boards, three assists and two steals while junior guard Elizabeth Jones (Wytheville, Va.) notched nine points and three boards.
- Sophomore center Alexis Hoppers (Sparta, N.C.) tacked on seven points and had 11 rebounds while sophomore forward Tori Powers (Gate City, Va.) notched a career-high eight points.

Virginia Wesleyan Individual Leaders
- Sabrina Jones paced the Marlins with 16 points and came up one rebound short of the double-double with nine boards and two assists.
- Jessica Jennings put up 12 points while Latroya Gravely had eight points off the bench.

A Deeper Look
- E&H shot 45.7 percent for the game (32-of-70) with six three-pointers. The Wasps struggled at the line, making just 6-of-12 (50%) of their free throws.
- Virginia Wesleyan made just 26-of-69 (37.7%) of its field goal attempts and was a frigid 15.8 percent (3-of-19) from long range. The Marlins also shot just 4-for-11 (36.4%) from the charity stripe.
- Emory & Henry held a 51-38 rebounding advantage and outscored VWU, 48-30, on points in the paint.
- The Wasps took advantage of 15 Marlin turnovers for 17 points and finished the game with eight blocked shots.

Up Next
- Emory & Henry will return to action in a battle of ODAC unbeatens on Saturday when it hosts Shenandoah University at 4:30 p.m. The contest will be the second of a doubleheader with the E&H men.

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