The Basics
Score: Roanoke 62 | Eastern Mennonite 52
Records: Maroons 18-5 / 13-3 ODAC | Royals 6-15 / 2-13 ODAC
Location: Salem, Va.
The Lead: Roanoke went searching for their second consecutive win, after defeating Lynchburg on Wednesday night, when they welcomed Eastern Mennonite to the Cregger Center. Roanoke took a three-point lead into the second quarter but a 9-0 run by the Royals would see the visitors in front, 37-30 at the half. Trailing by five in the final period, Roanoke raised their defensive effort and would hold the Royals to just two fourth quarter points as the Maroons used a 17-2 final frame to rally for the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) win, 62-52.
How it Happened:
- Sayre Brandstatter hit a game opening three as Roanoke would enjoy the advantage throughout the opening quarter. JaBryah Haverkamp scored from the mid-range to make it 11-4 and force an Eastern Mennonite timeout. With 1:15 left in the frame, Kristina Harrel scored to make it 15-10 and a Royal hoop would close the quarter with the Maroons in front by three.
- After EMU tied it up, Harrel once again put the Maroons in front, 19-15. However, Eastern Mennonite would score nine straight points to give the visitors their first lead, 26-21, with a little more than four-minutes left to play. Mennonite used the long ball, 5-7, to take the quarter, 25-15, and a seven-point lead (37-30) into the half.
- With 3:41 remaining in the third, the Royals enjoyed their largest lead of the afternoon, 46-31. Rose Sande scored a layup and back-to-back buckets by Lauren Keel would allow Roanoke to cut the deficit to five, 50-45, heading into the final 10-minutes of play.
- Ayanna Scarborough and Renee Alquiza scored to cut it to one, and when Harrel buried a three-pointer, Roanoke had completed the comeback and was back on top, 52-50, with 5:19 on the clock.
- The Roanoke defense took over the final period, holding their guests to just two points and 0-12 from the field. A pair of Keel free throws and Alquiza's lone 3-ball of the game would push the advantage to 57-50.
- An "old fashion" three-point play by Harrel saw RC up by double-digits for the first time, 60-50 with just over two-minutes to play. EMU cut it to eight but a pair of Brandstatter free throws closed out the scoring and the Maroons had completed the comeback for the 62-52, win.
- Harrel led all scorers with 16 but it was the Roanoke bench, 31 points, that proved to be the difference. Haverkamp had nine with Keel adding eight and Scarborough finishing with seven. Whitney Hopson handed out eight of the Maroons 15 assists.
Up next: The Maroons will look to exact a bit of revenge on Wednesday when they travel to Lexington for a rematch with, ODAC leading, Washington and Lee at 7:00pm.
