(ASHLAND, Va.) – Round 2 between Randolph-Macon and Eastern Mennonite will take place on Saturday, just three days after the two met in a women's basketball showdown. The two teams had some of their best games of the season and saw the Yellow Jackets pull away in the fourth quarter.

The Basics

Time: 7 p.m.

Venue: Yoder Arena

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

Series Record: Randolph-Macon 41, Eastern Mennonite 15 (Since 1990)

Last Meeting: Randolph-Macon 86, Eastern Mennonite 75 – January 15, 2022 at Crenshaw Gymnasium

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.

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

• Juliana Park and Becca Anthony continue to be two of the top 3-point shooters not only in the conference, but nationally as well. Both are shooting 42.6% behind the arc, tied for second in the ODAC and No. 21 in the nation.
• With her 12 caroms on Saturday against EMU Catherine Kagey (So., Roanoke, Va. / Faith Christian) is now tied for second in the ODAC in rebounds per game pulling down an average of 9.0 per contest.
• Kagey also recorded a double-double in Saturday's win against the Royals. It was her second in as many games and fourth for the season.
• Cheridan Hatfield (Sr., Fishersville, Va. / Wilson Memorial) ranks fifth in the ODAC in assist turnover ratio. Heading into Saturday she averages 3.9 helpers per game and has a 1.31 A/T ratio.
• As a team the Yellow Jackets have done well to take care of the ball and are No. 3 in the ODAC with only 184 on the season. Out of 423 teams in Division III they are No. 51 in that category.

Head Coach Lindsey Burke
Second Season at Randolph-Macon
2020-21 4-0, 3-0 ODAC
Overall at R-MC           12-3 (.786)
ODAC                           8-0 (1.000)
Home                           9-1 (.900)
Away                            2-2 (.500)
Neutral                         0-0

• All-ODAC and All-State
  Becca Anthony and Cheridan Hatfield return to the lineup as VaSID All-State selections a year ago. Anthony was also the lone All-ODAC selection for the Yellow Jackets.
• Preseason Polls