SALEM, VA--The Randolph-Macon women's basketball team outscored its host Roanoke College 39-29 in the second half, rallying to a 69-61 win on Saturday afternoon in Salem, VA. The Yellow Jackets, who are ranked 14th in the nation in the latest D3Hoops.com poll, improve to 15-1 on the season and 12-0 in Old Dominion Athletic Conference action. The Maroons, whose seven-game winning streak comes to an end, fall to 10-5 on the year, 6-5 against ODAC opponents.
The Maroons held a slim 32-30 lead at the break, but the Yellow Jackets outscored the Maroons 16-6 to open the second half to open up an eight-point edge. Randolph-Macon took its first lead of the second half, 38-36, on a Kristen Morgan layup, but the Maroons responded on a jumper from
Chandra Forrester (Wytheville, VA/Rural Retreat). With the game tied at 38, the Yellow Jackets used a 12-3 run over the next two minutes to take a nine-point lead, 50-41.
A 12-3 Roanoke run midway through the second half, after the Yellow Jackets had taken that nine-point advantage, evened the score at 53. A
Brittany Johnson (West Simsbury, CT/Simsbury) layup with 6:31 to play evened the game at 53. The Yellow Jackets then scored the next four points to retake control of the game.
Cindy McGraw (Lynchburg, VA/EC Glass) hit a reverse layup with 4:34 to play to make the score 58-56 in RMC's favor, but a 6-1 Yellow Jackets run squashed the Maroons chances for a comeback. Randolph-Macon junior guard Megan Silva scored on a layup on an out-of-bounds play to make the RMC lead seven points, 64-57, with 2:33 to play. The Yellow Jackets scored their final five points from the free throw line, pushing the lead up to 10 points, 69-59, with less than a minute to play.
The first 3:30 of the game belonged to the Maroons. Roanoke jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the opening moments of the game. The 14th-ranked Yellow Jackets, however, went on a 16-6 run to even the score at 16 with 9:18 left in the opening 20 minutes of action. Junior Michelle Orton scored the final four points of that run, tying the game with a layup with 9:18 left. After tying the game, the Yellow Jackets went on a 6-2 run and captured a four-point lead on a Jennie Carter jumper with 6:29 left in the half. Minutes later, Roanoke
Lindsay Reynolds (Roanoke, VA/Cave Spring) converted a fastbreak layup to cap a 7-2 Roanoke run and give the Maroons a 25-24 lead. Maggie Harmon made one of two free throws to even the score at 25, but
Kayce Smith (Chattanooga, TN/The Baylor School) hit a three-pointer and
Erin Hanson (Blacksburg, VA/Blacksburg) scored four points and the Maroons took the 32-30 lead at the break. Morgan answered Smith's three-pointer to even the score at 30.
Silva finished the game with 21 points, 15 of which came in the second half of play. She also recorded four of her five steals in the second half. Orton was the only other Yellow Jacket to score in double-figures, scoring 10 of her 14 points in the second half as well. Orton also led all players with eight rebounds. The Yellow Jackets outscored Roanoke 15-4 from the free throw line in the second half.
Three Maroon players scored at least 10 points, with Hanson leading the way with 12, eight in the first half. Reynolds scored six of her 10 points in the second half, hitting one of the team's three-pointers, a shot that brought the Maroons to within 46-41 in the second half. McGraw also scored 10 for the Maroons.
Roanoke is back in action on Sunday in a home game against the Marlins of Virginia Wesleyan College. The game in Roanoke's C. Homer Bast Center will begin at 4:30pm.
Roanoke vs. Randolph-Macon Box Score
