Date: Friday, February 6, 2009
Contact: Robert Dignazio / Sports Information Intern
(804) 752-7387, robertdignazio@rmc.edu

 Roanoke Edges R-MC 62-60 in Battle for First Place in ODAC
(Box Score)

Ashland, Va. - R-MC was outrebounded for just the fourth time this season as Roanoke hung on to a slim lead to defeat the Yellow Jackets 62-60 on Friday night. The Maroons led by eight points with 2:43 remaining in regulation, but R-MC responded with a late 10-4 run that fell just short. Lindsay Riesbeck netted 18 points and Molly Ariail registered a double-double to lead the Yellow Jackets.

Roanoke's Erin Jenkins led off the game with a three-pointer. This would be the first of five Roanoke three-point field goals in the first 8:46 of play. Jenkins and Caitlyn Long nailed two each, and Lindsay Skaff nailed the fifth with 11:14 remaining in the first half to give the Maroons a 19-12 lead. R-MC fought back as Renee Stein fed Maggie Roy who drained a three-pointer. Riesbeck, Ariail, and Molly Brown added field goals to chip away at the Roanoke lead. The Yellow Jackets tied the game with 5:18 remaining after Jennifer O'Briant found Brown for a jumper, making the score 21-21. After the Maroons regained a two-point lead, Roy drained another three-pointer and Riesbeck made back-to-back layups to put R-MC up by five points. However, Roanoke's Rebecca Bays converted a three-point attempt with seven seconds remaining to pull the Maroons within two points at halftime. R-MC entered the break with a 28-26 lead. RC shot six-for-nine from behind the arc in the first twenty minutes of play, while R-MC made three-of-seven three-pointers.

Jordan Gholson opened the second half with a game-tying layup. After R-MC's Katie Williams responded with a layup, Gholson hit a jumper to tie the game 30-30. Five minutes into the second half, the score continued to remain close. Jennifer O'Briant tied the game with a three-pointer five minutes into the second stanza. However, RC's Erin Jenkins made a jumper to spark a 9-2 Maroon rally that gave the visitors a seven-point lead.

Gholson made a layup to stretch the Maroons lead to 58-50 with 2:43 remaining. Amanda Hiltunen then sunk one-of-two foul shots with two minutes remaining to pull R-MC within seven. After RC pulled down the rebound on Hiltunen's second shot, Lindsay Riesbeck grabbed a steal in R-MC's defensive end. Renee Stein was fouled by Jaleesa Osborne and preceded to make two foul shots to pull the Yellow Jackets within five points. A Maroon turnover led to an Ariail layup that made the score 58-55 with 50 seconds remaining. R-MC had scored five consecutive points in a 1:10 span. Hiltunen fouled Caitlyn Long on the next possession. Long made one of two foul shots, but Riesbeck responded with a running layup to make the score 59-57 with 21 seconds remaining.

Roanoke inbounded the ball to Long, who was then fouled by Hiltunen. The foul marked the senior's fifth personal foul of the contest. O'Briant checked back into the game for Hiltunen. Long made both of her free throws, but Maggie Roy responded with a three-pointer, making the score 61-60 with just four seconds remaining. The Yellow Jackets fouled immediately, sending Bays to the line. After an R-MC timeout, Bays made the second of two free throws to put the Maroons ahead 62-60, leaving R-MC with just four seconds to score. O'Briant inbounded the ball to Roy, who passed to Stein up-court. Stein found Ariail at the top of the key, but the center's shot fell just short of the basket as time expired.

Roanoke outrebounded Randolph-Macon 44-41. Long led RC with 14 points, while Osborne netted 13 and Jenkins tallied 12. R-MC's Maggie Roy shot three-of-four from behind the arc and totaled 11 points on the night.

The Maroon win gives Roanoke (18-2, 14-2 ODAC) a game-and-a-half lead over Randolph-Macon (15-5, 12-3) for first place in the conference standings. The Yellow Jackets return to action tomorrow when they host Hollins (0-19, 0-14 ODAC) at 2 PM.

- Yellow Jackets -