The Basics
Score: Ferrum 72, Roanoke 56
Records: Roanoke 0-1 | Ferrum 1-0
Location: Ferrum, Va.

The Lead: Ferrum used a big third quarter to break open a tight game as the Panthers would go onto a 72-56 win over Roanoke in the season opener for both teams on Wednesday night.

How it Happened

• Roanoke was led by Molly Hassell with 13 points on the night. Allison Livengood had nine points for RC, while Eleri Hayden, Madeline Suhr and Corinne McPadden all had six points in the loss for the Maroons.
• Ferrum was led by Zarkia Mattox who had a game-high 31 points, including 17 in the decisive second-half for the Panthers. Mattox was one of three Ferrum players in double-figures which included Jalexus Mitchell with 13 points and Erin March with 10. March also snared a game-high 15 rebounds to help Ferrum to a slim 38-34 edge on the glass.
• The Maroons came out firing making 7-of-12 shots in the first quarter, including three from beyond the three-point stripe.  A Hayden jumper with under 30 seconds left in the opening frame made the score 19-12 Maroons.
• A Hassell bucket with 8:43 to go in the second quarter made the score 23-12 Roanoke. Ferrum would then go on a 15-3 run, taking a 27-26 lead on a Mitchell basket with 1:46 left in the quarter.  Roanoke would then come back to take the lead when Livengood made two free-throws to give RC a 31-29 lead at the intermission.
• In the third quarter, Victoria Maxwell scored a layup with just over seven minutes to go to give RC a 36-35 lead, before Ferrum put together a 14-2 run to close the quarter and open up a 49-38 advantage.
• Ferrum made 47.9% of its shots on the night, converting 23-of-48 shots from the field, while RC knocked down 33.9% of its shots on the evening.

Up Next: Roanoke will host the Jean Beamer Tip-Off Classic this weekend. RC will face Piedmont at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, while Washington and Lee and Birmingham Southern will square off at 8:00 p.m.