EMORY, Va. - Roanoke defeated Emory & Henry College, 71-68 on the road Tuesday evening on Bob Johnson Court at the John Rutledge King Center.  The Maroons improved to 5-14 overall, 5-10 in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) while the Wasps drop to 2-15, 1-14 in conference play.
 
The Wasps shot 42.6 percent (26-for-61) for the game and were 12-for-27 (44.4 percent) from beyond the arc. E&H won the battle of the boards by a 43-37 margin.  The Maroons, who are competing for a spot in the ODAC Tournament, scored 23 points off 21 E&H Turnovers.  Roanoke committed a season-low 13 assists on the night while dishing out a season-high 15 assists.
 
Roanoke quickly got out to its largest lead of the first half, going up 9-3 at the 16:48 mark. Emory & Henry responded with an 11-5 run to tie the contest at 14 points apiece. With the score tied at 20, the Wasps went on an 8-1 run covering just 1:26 to take a 28-21 lead.
 
The Maroons scored nine of the final 12 points of the half including a last-second three pointer by Rachel Dellehunt to give the Maroons a 41-36 halftime advantage.
 
The second half began much like the first half ended, with Roanoke extending its lead to eight (48-40) with 17:35 remaining, but a 14-3 scoring spurt by E&H put the Wasps ahead 54-51. Neither team would lead by more than four points the rest of the way.
 
Down by four, Emory & Henry scored five-straight to take a 66-65 lead with just 1:37 left on the clock. The Maroons responded with a two-point bucket of their own for the game-winning basket. The two teams battled for the final 20-seconds but Roanoke came away with the 71-68 victory, scoring six of the final eight points of the contest.
 
Paxton Gwin led all scorers with a career-high 21 points for Roanoke and added 10 rebounds to complete her fourth double-double of the season. Tatum McKee recorded a career-high 14 points and six boards while Dellehunt finished the game with 10 points and a career-high seven steals. Taylor Duggins had eight points, five rebounds and a career-best seven assists on the night.
 
Emory & Henry was paced by Ashlyn Baird with 12 points and 10 rebounds for a double-double. Michelle Williams and Kristie Langley each posted 19 points, four rebounds and three assists in the contest.
 
The women will return home to host Randolph College in ODAC Action on Friday, Feb. 10.  Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Bast Center.