Maroons Fall In ODAC Championship Game

action photo of RC basketball player Rose Sande shooting over a defender
Roanoke fell to Lynchburg 67-61 in the ODAC Championship

The Basics
Score: #4 Roanoke 61 | #2 Lynchburg 67  
Records: Maroons 10-3 / 5-2 ODAC | Hornets 11-1 / 6-1
Location: ODAC Women's Basketball Tournament Finals – Lynchburg, Va.

The Lead: The Roanoke College women's basketball team played in the finals of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Basketball Tournament for the first time since 2011 when they traveled to Lynchburg for the championship game. Trailing by two at the break, Roanoke tied the game going into the fourth quarter. The Maroons held a one-point lead late, but the Hornets would close the game on a 10-3 run to claim the title.

How it Happened:

  • The Hornets would race out to a 7-0 advantage as they held Roanoke scoreless for the first 4:30 of the game. A JaBryah Haverkamp jumper would get the Maroons on the board.
  • With 2:48 remaining in the quarter, Lynchburg had pushed their lead to eight, 14-6.
  • Renee Alquiza nailed a three-pointer as the quarter came to a close, cutting the deficit to 15-11.
  • Another Alquiza triple and a Rose Sande three-ball would give Roanoke their first lead of the afternoon, 17-15, less than two minutes into the second period.
  • The Hornets scored to tie but a pair of long range jumpers by Sande and back-to-back buckets by Haverkamp would see Roanoke with a 10 point advantage, 27-17.
  • Then it was the home team that would respond with a 12 point run to retake the lead heading into the final minute of the first half.
  • Whitney Hopson finished a layup to tie and after making one of two free throws, RC was once again in the lead. However, Lynchburg converted a three-point play in the closing seconds for a two-point halftime edge.
  • The third period would see three ties and three lead changes as a Sande three-pointer would knot the score at 50-50 heading into the final quarter of play.
  • The Hornets would score the first five points of the finale before Ayanna Scarborough scored to spark yet another Roanoke rally.
  • With 3:15 to play, Morgan Micallef hit a pair of free throws to put the Maroons in front, 58-57.
  • Lynchburg responded with six straight as they looked to pull away. But another Sande triple made it a one possession game, 61-63, with one minute left on the clock.
  • The Hornets made their free throws and wouldn't let Roanoke score the rest of the way to secure their second ODAC Women's Basketball crown.
  • Sande paced RC with 15 points while Haverkamp added 14, both off the bench. Hopson had nine points and five rebounds with Alquiza scoring eight.

When the ODAC All-Tournament team was announced, Sande and Haverkamp represented the Maroons on the six-player squad.