FERRUM – The Roanoke College women's basketball team could not erase an early lead by Ferrum College, falling in non-conference action 80-50 on Tuesday evening.
 
Laurel Hankins led the Maroons (2-5) with 15 points, going 4-for-7 from the field, and 3-6 from behind the arc.  She was followed by Tatum McKee, who tallied 10 points and a team high seven rebounds.  McKee also topped all players in steals with five.  Kelsey Smith and Paxton Gwin each finished with nine points.
 
The Panthers Jacole Hairston and Shea Smith each put up 16 points on the night, followed by Tesla Akers, who tallied 14.  Kelsey Frazier came off the bench for Ferrum and put up a double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds.
 
Ferrum (5-0) pulled ahead early, building a 15-5 lead in the first six minutes of the contest.  Akers, who was 4-6 from behind the arc, hit all of her trey's in the first half.  Her last three-pointer was with 4:33 to play in the half, putting Ferrum up 17, 34-17.  Roanoke responded with a 10-0 run, including two long range shots from Laurel Hankins to pull within seven, 34-27.  Hankins scored 14 of her 15 total points in the first half, including a 3-4 mark from downtown.  Ferrum out scored Roanoke 9-3 in the final minute of the half to go up 43-30 after 20.
 
The second half was another series of runs for the Panthers, starting the first nine minutes out on a 16-9 run, then closing game on a 21-7 streak.  McKee led the Maroons in the second half with her six points, along with six rebounds, more than any other player in the period.  As the final buzzer sounded, Ferrum came away with the win 80-50.
 
Ferrum outshot Roanoke 51.5 to 32.8 percent, and took the advantage at the boards as well (40-32).  The Maroons tied the Panthers in steals with 10, thanks largely in part to McKee's five takeaways.
 
The Maroons return to action on Saturday, December 8^th as they go back into ODAC action, facing off against Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg.  That contest is scheduled for a 2:00 PM tip-off.
 
We just reached 1,401 fans on Facebook, but we're trying to have the most followers in the ODAC. So, don't forget to become a fan of Maroon Athletics on Facebook. You can also follow us on Twitter @rcmaroons. Be sure to check out Roanoke Athletic's Vimeo Channel on our athletics home page and watch various highlight clips from our home games. To keep up to date with Maroon athletics from your mobile phone, click HERE to access the mobile app.
 
Have you seen our brand new Live Game Portal? Click HERE to watch live webcasts of each scheduled home athletic event, along with Live Stats which have now been integrated into the live video feed. Also, share your thoughts on Twitter by posting to @rcmaroons or using the featured hashtag in the live video portal!