Ayanna Scarborough scored six of her 14 points in the decisive fourth quarter
Posted: Jan 04, 2020
The Basics
Score: Roanoke 64 | Virginia Wesleyan 56
Records: Maroons 9-4, 4-2 | Marlins 2-10, 1-5
Location: Virginia Beach, Va.
The Lead: The Maroons used a big fourth quarter, 18-8, to rally from down two to pick up the conference win. With the ODAC victory, RC moved into the top three of the league standings.
How it Happened:
- With 4:30 to go in the first quarter, Roanoke would trail by five, 7-12. Corinne McPadden would net a layup to start the Maroons rally.
- Molly Hassell hit three free throws to give Roanoke the advantage, 19-18, with just 44 ticks left on the clock. However, Logan Carter hit a jump shot to give Va. Wesleyan the one point lead heading into the second period.
- The next quarter would see three ties and three lead changes as the two ODAC foes would go back and forth. After a made McPadden free throw tied the game at 27-27, Morgan Micallef would knock down two free throws and then score on a layup off a Hassell assist to give RC a four point edge.
- The final minute belonged to the Marlins as Mak McSweeney scored to make it a two point at the break, 31-29.
- Whitney Hopson made two free throws to push the lead to four before a 6-0 Marlin surge gave the lead back to VWU at the 7:40 mark. Hopson completed the three point play off a Hassell steal and helper to re-take the lead.
- With 5:14 to go in the third, Kristina Harrel scored to make it 42-41. Neither team could score for the next two and a half minutes, then Ayanna Scarborough would break the drought to push the RC edge to three points.
- Just as the previous frame, VWU would own the end of the quarter. A 7-0 run gave the Marlins a four point advantage before a Rose Sande score made it 46-48 heading into the decisive quarter.
- Sierra Coleman capped a 4-0 Marlin start to give Wesleyan their largest lead of the afternoon, 52-46.
- With 8:00 to play, the Maroons began their comeback. A Hopson free throw capped a 9-0 run over the next four minutes of play. The Marlins stopped the run momentarily, before Scarborough and Hopson finished the game scoring every point of a 9-2 Roanoke closing run.
- Hopson scored a game high 15 with Scarborough adding 14 off the bench. Harrel led the team with seven rebounds while Hassell posted three assists and a pair of steals.
Up next: Roanoke will host ODAC leading Emory & Henry in a conference showdown on Wednesday night at the Cregger Center. The game is scheduled to begin at 7:30pm, or soon after the conclusion of the Roanoke/E&H men's game.