SALEM – The Roanoke College women's basketball team cruised to a 25-point victory, 84-59, over Old Dominion Athletic Conference opponent Emory & Henry on Wednesday night.  The Maroons now have a record of 6-10; 2-5 ODAC, while the Wasps are 7-8 and 4-3 in ODAC play.
 
The Maroons had four players in double-digit scoring on the evening.   Kelsey Smith led the team with a career high 17 points, shooting 7-9 on the night, including a perfect 3-3 from behind the arc.  She was followed by three players with 13 points each: Paxton Gwin, Laurel Hankins and Tatum McKee.  Gwin posted a double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds on the night.  McKee led the team in assists with four, while Hankins was 4-7 form the field and 4-4 from the free throw line.
 
The Wasps jumped out to an early lead against the maroons, going up by three, 10-7 in the first five minutes of the contest.  The two teams battled back and forth over lead changes over the next eight minutes.  But it was at the 7:15 mark in the first half, where Laurel Hankins hit a layup that started a 19-5 run for the Maroons that closed out the half.  During that run, Hankins put away nine points, while Smith hit a jumper and a trey.  The Maroons entered the locker room ahead by 16, 46-30.
 
Smith, Hankins and McKee opened the second half with baskets for the Maroons, putting Roanoke up by 19 in the first two minutes.  The Wasps responded with a 10-0 run of their own that ran through the 15 minute mark in the half to pull within nine.  Gwin and McKee answered with a six more points that increased Roanoke's lead again to 15.  The closest Emory & Henry would get to tying up the game was at 10:14 when McPherson hit a jumper to cut the deficit to nine, 60-51.  Over the course of the final eight minutes of the game, Roanoke outscored Emory & Henry 24-8 to win the ODAC contest, 84-49.
 
Emory & Henry's Jalan McPherson and Michelle Williams each scored 15 points for the Wasps.  Amanda Stanley was the team's leading rebounder, pulling down six boards on the night.  Courtney Puckett finished with a team high four assists.
 
The Maroons outshot Emory & Henry 54.2 to 28.6 percent from the field, and almost half of the Wasps shots came from behind the arc.  The Maroons were out rebounded on the night 46-44, but held the edge in assists (15-12) and steals (12-5).
 
The Maroons return to action on Saturday, January 19^th as they travel to face off against the WildCats of Randolph College.  That contest is slated for a 4:30 tip-off. 
 
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