THE GAME FACTS
Score: Shenandoah 65, Roanoke 49
Location: Salem, Va.
 
The Short Story: Second-seeded Shenandoah led from wire to wire in claiming a 16-point victory over sixth-seeded Roanoke in the conference semifinals at the Salem Civic Center.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Hornets sprinted out to a 9-0 advantage before Madison Nereu got the Maroons on the board with 7:20 to play in the first quarter. Shenandoah would lead by 10 points on multiple occasions in the opening frame, but a Peyton Kirchner basket and two Lauren Keel free throws trimmed the margin to 18-12 by the end of the period.
• But the Hornets put the clamps down on defense in the second quarter, keeping the Maroons off the scoreboard until a Rose Sande layup with 3:11 to go. Roanoke shot just 2-of-17 from the floor in the stanza, while Shenandoah knocked down 8-of-14 field goals to extend its lead to 38-16 by halftime.
• The No. 2 seed would go in front by as many as 28 points (51-23) in the third quarter before the Maroons righted the ship.
• Roanoke outscored the Hornets 26-14 in the last 13:43 of game time, including a 19-10 tally in the fourth quarter, to provide the final margin.

BY THE NUMBERS

• Sande scored 16 of her game-high 18 points after the break, burying four 3-pointers in the second half. The two-time All-ODAC selection finishes her RC career with 1,033 points.
• Nereu joined Sande in double figures, totaling 12 points, seven rebounds and five steals.
• Keel added eight points and eight boards, and Mariah Cain posted a team-best four assists.
• Emily Williams paced Shenandoah with 12 points and nine rebounds, while Terese Greene and Maddie Kimble chipped in 11 points apiece. Kimble also dished out six assists.
• Roanoke shot just 29.4 percent (20-of-68) from the field for the game, including a 4-of-22 mark from three-point range. The Hornets converted at a 41.7 percent rate (25-of-60) from the floor and produced a 47-35 rebounding margin.

UP NEXT

• The Maroons wrap up their season with a 17-10 overall record.