SALEM, VA--The Roanoke College women's basketball team returned to the win column with a 56-49 win over Virginia Wesleyan College on Sunday afternoon in Salem, VA. The Maroons, who had their seven-game winning streak snapped on Saturday, improve to 11-5 overall and 7-5 in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. The Marlins, who had beaten the Maroons by one point in Virginia Beach earlier in the season, fall to 6-10 overall and 5-7 against ODAC foes.
A Jennie Schafer (Centreville, VA/Centreville) layup with 6:32 to play in the game gave Roanoke a 46-36 lead. The Marlins went on a 9-0 run to trim the Maroons' lead to just one with 3:38 remaining in the game. During that run, the Maroons missed three shots, two free throws, and committed two turnovers. The Marlins, meanwhile, got three-point field goals from Heather Phillips and Chelsey Barrett. Phillips made one of two free throws with 3:38 left to cut the lead to one, 46-45.
From there, however, the Marlins went cold from the field, making just one of their final three shots. Roanoke also forced three turnovers in that span. The Maroons built their lead to eight points on two
Veronica Kelly (Westport, CT/Staples) free throws with 1:33 to play in regulation. After Phillips hit a layup to cut Roanoke's lead to six, Barrett knocked down two foul shots to make the score 53-49 in RC's favor. With time running out, the Marlins were forced to send the Maroons to the line, but Roanoke missed three consecutive foul shots and with 20 seconds still clung to the 53-49 edge.
Lindsay Reynolds (Roanoke, VA/Cave Spring) brought the foul shot slump to an end, giving Roanoke a 54-49 lead, and
Erin Hanson (Blacksburg, VA/Blacksburg) made two with just six seconds left to make the final score 56-49. The Maroons scored their final 10 points from the line and themselves did not make a field goal in the final 6:32.
Roanoke, which as a team shot just 25 percent from the field in the game and 18 percent in the second half, got a team-best 14 points from Hanson, who led the team in scoring for the seventh time in the past nine games.
Brittany Johnson (West Simsbury, CT/Simsbury) came off the bench to score 12 points and grab seven rebounds. Eight of Johnson's points came in the first half.
The Marlins made 30 percent of their shots from the field, but were plagued by 23 turnovers, 12 of which came in the first half of play. The Marlins also made all seven of the three-point field goals in the game and finished with a better three-point percentage than overall field goal percentage. Nicole Thurston scored nine points and added 12 points, two assists, two steals, and a block. Michelle Dove made three three-pointers, finished with 12 points, and converted a four-point play in the first half.
The Maroons are back in action on Tuesday in a home game against the Royals of Eastern Mennonite University. The Royals won the first meeting of the season between the two teams, 43-42, in Harrisonburg, VA. The game in Salem will begin at 7:00pm.
Roanoke vs. Virginia Wesleyan Box Score
