Posted: Feb 19, 2011
Roanoke split their final two games of the regular season on the road in ODAC action. The Maroons are now 17-7 overall, 16-4 in the ODAC to secure the #3 seed in the ODAC Tournament next week. They fell to Randolph-Macon, 56-45 and defeated Virginia Wesleyan, 81-74 in their final road trip of the year.
Roanoke shot a season-low 27.3%, including 1-for-11 from behind the arc as the Maroons totaled their lowest scoring output of the season. They held a 54-50 edge in the rebounding column against the Yellow Jackets.
Randolph-Macon (19-6, 17-3 ODAC) shot just 30.1% from the field including 25% from the three-point line. The Maroons held a 45-40 edge on the boards.
With 12:32 to go in the first half, R-MC's Lindsey Sharman dropped in a layup to give the Jackets a 12-6 advantage but Roanoke rallied for the next five to pull within one.
After a three and a half minute scoring drought for both teams, Randolph-Macon broke out with a 6-0 run on four points from Taylor Wieczorek and a Maggie Roy fast break layup with 7:08 left in the first.
Roanoke rallied late in the first half with an 8-0 streak capped with a Jordan Gholson layup that put the Maroons up 23-22 with 2:31 on the clock. Jordan Cantrell put the Jackets back on top in the next possession with a three pointer and a Cantrell layup before half time sent R-MC into the locker room up 27-25.
Randolph-Macon scored seven of the second half's first eight points including a Katie Williams three to give the Jackets a 34-26 edge with just over 18 minutes to go.
Rebecca Bays knocked down a free throw with 11:21 on the clock that pulled Roanoke within five but that would be as close as the Maroons would come as the Yellow Jackets led by as many as 16 before finishing with 56-45 win.
Gholson led Roanoke with 14 points and a season-best 16 rebounds, while Nicci Moats finished with 12 points and 15 boards. Moats has recorded four consecutive double-doubles and her 13th of the season.
Bays added six points, five assists and three rebounds while Porter chipped in four points, four steals and three caroms.
Roanoke survived an upset-minded Virginia Wesleyan, 81-74 in the regular season finale at the Batten Center on Saturday afternoon. The Maroons enter the ODAC Tournament with a 17-7 overall record and finished 16-4 in ODAC play. The Marlins slipped to 12-13, 10-10 in the conference.
The Maroons shot 50.8% for the afternoon (30-59) and hit 6-of-13 from three-point range (46.2%) to help pull away from the Marlins. VWC was held to 39.4% shooting, including 9-of-32 from beyond the arc. They hit 81.3% of their free-throws (13-16) and out-rebounded RC, 45-29.
Roanoke, which has won five of the last six meetings against VWC, took care of the basketball with 18 assists to only nine turnovers. The Maroons outscored the Marlins, 30-13 off the bench.
Bays had 11 points and eight assists on the afternoon. She moved into ninth on the career assists list at Roanoke with 256, passing Donna Cogar '92. Paxton Gwin scored a career-high 14 points, shooting 6-of-7 on the day, with three rebounds and two steals.
Moats scored 18 points and pulled down nine rebounds in addition to two blocked shots and two steals to lead Roanoke. She is only eight rebounds shy to move into 15th on the career rebounds list (462).
Gholson had 14 points and seven boards with two blocks on the afternoon. She passed Mary Beth Harvey '84 to move into 10th on the career scoring list at Roanoke with 1,178 career points. She trails former teammate Caitlyn Long '10 for ninth on the all-time list.
The women will take on Virginia Wesleyan on Thursday, Feb. 24 in the ODAC Quarterfinals held at the Salem Civic Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m.
