Posted: Jan 15, 2011
SALEM, Va. --- Roanoke defeated Virginia Wesleyan, 57-29 in ODAC women's basketball action Saturday afternoon at the Bast Center. The Maroons improved to 7-4 overall, 6-1 in the ODAC. The Marlins dropped to 7-8, 5-5 in conference play.
The Maroons won in a big way as they avenged their ODAC Semifinal loss (52-49) to the Marlins last winter. RC leads the series, 40-18. The win gave the women's basketball program its 698th victory in 40 years of the sport at Roanoke.
With the a four-point lead with 3:43 remaining in the first half, the Maroons scored the final seven points to grab a 26-15 lead at intermission.
After a Marlin three-pointer to start the second half, reeled off 11 unanswered points to take a 21-point advantage (39-18) and weren't threatened again as the Maroons cruised to their third win in the last four games.
Roanoke held Virginia Wesleyan to a dismal 17.9% from the floor, including 1-of-9 from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, the Maroons had a resurgent day after a tough loss the night before. They out-rebounded the Marlins, 54-34, and shot 6-of-17 (35.3%) from three-point range. RC outscored VWC, 15-3 in points off turnovers, 30-10 in the paint and 31-9 off the bench to remain atop the ODAC standings.
Nicci Moats (Blue Ridge, VA, Lord Botetourt) led the Maroons with her fifth double-double of the season with 13 points and 12 rebounds. She also had four blocked shots to move into 10th on the single-season blocks list (35). She is currently sixth all-time in blocked shots at Roanoke with 82. It's the fourth-straight game and the ninth time this season Moats has scored in double-figures. She also has had 10 or more rebounds in five of the last six outings.
Jordan Gholson (Louisa, VA, Louisa County), Roanoke's latest member of the 1,000 point club, finished with nine points. Her six rebounds gave her 557 career rebounds, now 11th on the all-time list for the Maroons women's basketball program.
Laurel Hankins (Dublin, VA, Bland) also led Roanoke with a career-best 13 points, connecting on 3-for-5 from beyond the arc. Kendra Porter (Jamestown, NC, Dudley) dished out a season-best six assists and had five steals which tied a season-high to lead the Maroons in addition to four rebounds. Kylie Lucas (Verona, VA, Fort Defiance) contributed nine points and a season-high six rebounds.
