Roanoke (13-2, 9-2 ODAC) will battle Emory & Henry Tuesday, Jan. 27 at the Bast Center in ODAC women's basketball action. The Wasps are currently 3-11 overall, 2-8 in ODAC play. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.

 

Roanoke holds a 47-21 series advantage all-time against the Wasps. Since 2004, the Maroons have won six of the last nine meetings. Susan Dunagan owns 43 of the 49 wins against E&H and has a 43-20 record against long-time coach Joy Scruggs. Both are the longest tenured women's basketball coaches in the ODAC and started the same year in 1981.

 

EMORY, Va. --- The Maroons dropped a 66-57 decision to Emory & Henry at the King Center in Emory, Va. on Tuesday evening. The Maroons dropped to 12-9 overall and 10-6 in the ODAC. The Wasps improved to 8-14, 6-11 in conference play. Roanoke is now 4-4 on the road this season and the loss broke a four-game win streak.

 

The Maroons shot 23.5-percent in the second half while the Wasps made 56-percent from three-point range to give them their eighth win of the season. EHC shot 46-percent for the game and 42-percent from beyond the arc. The Maroons were outrebounded, 43-34.

 

The Wasps jumped out to a 9-2 lead to start the game, led by Brittany Rogers and Alex Lyons who combined for the nine of the game's first 11 points.

 

The Maroons slowly closed in on EHC as junior Erin Jenkins hit a three-pointer off an assist by sophomore Lindsay Skaff to tie the score at 24-all with 7:58 remaining. A late 13-7 run by the Wasps gave the home team a 37-31 advantage at the half. It was the first time the Maroons have trailed in the first half since Christopher Newport on Jan. 9 and are now 0-6 when trailing at the half.

 

EHC grabbed their largest lead of the game, 41-31 off a three-pointer and a free-throw by Sarah Petty with 17:46 in the second half.

 

Roanoke cut its deficit to within two, 50-48 off a jumper by Virginia Anne Hagood with just over eight minutes remaining which capped a 17-9 run. Jenkins hit a three-pointer in the corner to tie the game for the first time since it was 24-all, 56-56 with just under four minutes remaining.

 

The Wasps roared back as they scored eight-straight points to grab a 64-56 lead with 1:56 remaining in the game. Petty had a conventional three-point play off a lay-up and a free throw and Lyons hit a three at the wing to highlight the run, which eventually sealed the win.

 

Petty led all scorers with 19 points and nearly had a triple-double with nine rebounds and eight assists in addition to five steals to lead the Wasps. Rogers had 17 points and seven rebounds while Lyons chipped in 11 points.

 

Senior Erin Hanson had 12 points, six rebounds and two assists to lead the Maroons. She needs four points to pass Vickie Zimmerman for fourth all-time on the career scoring list at Roanoke. With a blocked shot tonight Hanson is tied for eighth all-time in that category. Jenkins had 11 points and tied a season-high three three-pointers. Sophomore Caitlyn Long finished with 10 points and two assists. She now has 69 three-pointers for her career, one behind Lindsay Reynolds '06 for eighth all-time.

 

GREENSBORO, N.C.  -- Roanoke's hot shooting in the second half allowed the Maroons extend their three-point halftime lead and hold off Guilford, 75-65 in ODAC action Saturday afternoon in the Ragan-Brown Field House. Roanoke (13-2, 9-2 ODAC) completed a sweep of the season series with the Quakers (7-10, 6-6 ODAC).

 

Roanoke is now 44-24 against teams from North Carolina, 28 coming against Guilford. It's the third win this season over NC teams with Bennett coming Feb. 11. They also defeated Meredith, 61-32 on Nov. 21 at the Guilford Tip-Off Classic.

 

The first half saw a tight game with nine ties and five lead changes. While Guilford was ahead most of the first half, Roanoke took the lead into the intermission behind 12 first-half points by Caitlyn Long.  The Maroons shot a dismal 31% from the floor and Jordan Gholson got into foul trouble which limited her to only three minutes in the half.

 

The lead remained at three six minutes into the second half before Roanoke went on a 14-4 run over the next five minutes and opened a commanding 63-46. The Maroons blistered the nets in the second half (55.6%) including 4-of-6 from three-point range.

 

Guilford would cut the Maroon lead down to six with 18 seconds left to play, but timely free-throw shooting by Roanoke sealed the game and their fifth-straight win. The Maroons are now 28-13 all-time against the Quakers, including the last five meetings.

 

Long finished with a season-high 23 points to go along with six rebounds to lead Roanoke for the first time this season. Erin Jenkins had 12 points, six rebounds and tied a career-best with six assists. Jaleesa Osborne notched 11 points to round out the double-digits scorers for the Maroons in addition to tying her career-high seven rebounds along with six assists.

 

Marcy Connerhad five points and six rebounds in her first start of the season. Rebecca Bays finished with career-highs of six rebounds and five assists while Gholson chipped in eight points.

 

Osborne's moved into a tie for 10^th all-time in career assists at Roanoke. She is also ranked eighth all-time in career steals with 174. Long's 105 career three-pointers rank her sixth while her 316 three-point attempts are three shy of passing Kay Caldwell '94 for sixth in that category. Gholson's 77 career blocked shots are ranked fifth while her 32 this season is tied with Crystal Wilson '94 for sixth. Jenkins is one three-pointer shy of entering the top-10 all-time in three-pointers made. 

 

The Quakers were led by Tracey Croner who finish with a team high 14 points and seven rebounds. Anne Seufer and Lauren LeFevers added 11 and 10 points respectively.

 

Emory & Henry dropped a pair of ODAC contests last week, falling to Guilford and Washington and Lee. Alex Lyons and Baylie Snyder had solid weeks for the Wasps. Lyons averaged 15.0 points and 7.0 rebounds while connecting on 87.5% from the line and over 52% from the field.  Snyder averaged 10.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.5 steals on the week.

 

Roanoke is 13-2 overall and are atop of the ODAC Standings with a 9-2 mark. The Maroons are winners of five-straight and are off to their best start since the 1996-97 season. Caitlyn Long averaged 18.5 points, five rebounds, 3.5 steals and 2.5 assists last week. She led the Maroons in steals, free-throws made and three-pointers made. In a win over Bridgewater, she scored 14 points, 12 in the second half to lead the Maroons past Bridgewater, 60-54. At Guilford, Long posted a season-best 23 points along with six rebounds in addition to four three-pointers in a 75-65 win. She became the sixth player in RC-history with over 100 three-pointers made (105).

 

Erin Jenkins has scored in double-figures seven times this season, matching all of last season.  She has had 17 career games with at least 10 or more points.

 

Gholson is the leading scorer (12.0 ppg), rebounder (6.2 rpg) and shot blocker (32) for the Maroons. The team leader in field goal percentage (51.4%) has scored in double-figures nine times this season, including four of the last five games. 

 

Osborne is the team's third leading scorer (10.8 ppg), but leads the team in steals (36), free throw percentage (88.6%), and assists (54). Long is third in scoring (10.2 ppg), assists (40) and second in steals with 26. In the last six games, Long has averaged 13.3 points and 3.7 rebounds per game. In addition, Long is shooting 48.4% from beyond the arc (15-31) during that span.

 

Jordan Gholson has recorded a school-record five first-half blocked shots and notched her 32 block of the season to move up to sixth on the top-10 single-season list.  Her 77 career blocked shots has moved her up to fifth on the all-time list.

 

Jaleesa Osborne's 174 career steals rank her eighth on the career steals list at Roanoke and needs 10 to tie Marcee Hufton '96 for seventh. Her 235 career assists are tied for 10^th all-time.  Caitlyn Long's 105 career three-pointers rank her sixth while her 316 three-point attempts are three shy of passing Kay Caldwell '94 for sixth in that category. Erin Jenkins is one three-pointer shy of entering the top-10 all-time in three-pointers made (69).