ASHLAND, Va. --- Roanoke needed an extra five minutes of play to escape Crenshaw Gym with a 73-64 overtime win over Ferrum in the Randolph-Macon Tip-Off Classic Friday evening.  The Maroons start off the season, 1-0 while the Panthers dropped to 0-2.

 

The Maroons, who won their fourth-straight season-opener, are now 31-10 all-time against their in-state foe.

 

Trailing by 10 at the half, the Maroons came out the gate and reeled off eight unanswered points to cut their deficit to within two in the first three minutes of the second stanza. Ferrum pushed the lead up to six as both teams traded buckets over the next 15-minutes of play.

 

Down five with 1:55 remaining in regulation, Rebecca Bays (Roanoke, VA, William Byrd) took the game in her hands. She scored the last five points to send the game into overtime with the score deadlocked at 60-60.

 

Roanoke once again came out strong to start the overtime period with six-straight points to take the lead for good. Bays scored the seventh-straight point to get the Maroons going followed by consecutive baskets by Jordan Gholson (Louisa, VA, Louisa County) to make it, 66-60 with 3:28 remaining.

 

The talented frontcourt of Gholson and Nicci Moats (Blue Ridge, VA, Lord Botetourt) provided most of the excitement for Roanoke, combining for 41 points and 22 rebounds in the come-from-behind win. Moats tied her career-high of 20 points and was one rebound shy of tying her career-best with 13. She also led the Maroons with four steals and three blocked shots. Gholson led the Maroons offensively with 21 points along with nine rebounds. She now has 903 total points while only six boards shy of 500 for her career.

 

Bays totaled 11 points and a game-high nine assists on the night. Paxton Gwin (Buxton, NC, Cape Hatteras Secondary) had seven points and three assists in her first collegiate contest while Rachel Dellehunt (Kinderhook, NY, Ichabod Crane) added four points, four rebounds and four assists in the win.

 

Kristen Keith led both teams in the scoring column with 30 and in steals with six for Ferrum. Shea Smith added eight points, five assists and four steals for the Panthers.

 

Roanoke will play against #17 Mary Washington tomorrow in the Randolph Tip-Off Classic.. The Maroons are 8-1 against the Eagles and currently riding a six-game win-streak. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Crenshaw Gym.