(ASHLAND, Va.) – The Randolph-Macon women's basketball team took the first game of two consecutive contests against Eastern Mennonite after pulling away in the fourth quarter. The Yellow Jackets were led by another balanced offense with four starters in double figures and held off an upstart Royals squad that had their second-best shooting performance of the season.

The Basics

Score: Randolph-Macon 86, Eastern Mennonite 75

Venue: Crenshaw Gymnasium

Records: Randolph-Macon 8-3, 6-0 ODAC; Eastern Mennonite 5-8, 1-6 ODAC

How It Happened

• Both teams came out blazing and combined to shoot 59% from the field. Fortunately for the Yellow Jackets, they held the slight edge and shot 11-of-18 for 61.1%. Becca Anthony (Sr., Amelia, Va. / Amelia) led the charge with 11 points in the frame as she was 4-for-5 and 3-for-4 behind the arc for 11 points.
• The Royals didn't go away quietly and were within a point near the end of the first before Cheridan Hatfield (Sr., Fishersville, Va. / Wilson Memorial) capped an excellent quarter with a buzzer-beating layup. She was 5-for-6 with 10 points in the frame as RMC led 27-24.
• More back-and-forth action followed in the second as the Royals was able to jump in front slightly late in the half, but Allison Burdette (Fr., Martinsburg, W.Va. / Musselman) sent the Jackets into the locker room with the lead after a pair of free throws in the final seconds.
• Midway through the third the Royals hit a 3-pointer to take a 47-45 lead, but the Lemon and Black answered immediately with a triple by Juliana Park (Fr., Fairfax Station, Va. / Davidson Day). It ended up being the last lead change of the game as the Lemon and Black were able to keep EMU at arm's length the rest of the way.

Inside The Numbers

• Anthony finished with a game-high 18 points and was 6-of-11 from the field with four 3-pointers. Hatfield was right behind her with 17 points and was 7-of-13 overall.
• Catherine Kagey (So., Roanoke, Va. / Faith Christian) had another excellent game with 14 points and 12 rebounds for her fourth double-double of the season and second in as many games.
• DeBell finished with 13 points after she was 6-for-9 from the field and added seven rebounds.
• Overall it was the best shooting performance of the season for the Jackets. Overall they shot 48.5% and were 32-for-66 from the field. It was the first time they made 30 or more field goals and the first time they scored 80 or more points this season.
• RMC controlled the boards by a 41-33 margin.
• Neither team had a run of more than seven points in the game. That run belonged to the Jackets at the start of the game after the Royals opened with the first free throw.

Up Next

Both these teams will go at it once again on Wednesday. Round 2 will be in Harrisonburg with a stat time scheduled for 7 p.m.