WASHINGTON, D.C. – While three Yellow Jackets tallied 12-or-more points,
McKenzie Matheny (Fairfax Station, Va./West Springfield) led the way with game-highs in points (18) and rebounds (16) in RMC's 62-44 win over Principia.
The Basics:
Score: Randolph-Macon 62, Principia 44.
Venue: Washington, D.C. // Franny Murray Gymnasium // Catholic University
Records: Randolph-Macon (7-2, 2-0 ODAC), Principia (4-5, 1-1 SLIAC)
How it Happened
- The Panthers generated the first five points of the game, after a three pointer from Taylor Brown and layup from Trinniti Matthews. Then, Erin Porter (Virginia Beach, Va./Kettle Run) sank her first triple, followed by a layup and midrange jumper from Emion Byers (Louisa County, Va./Louisa County) to help propel RMC out to a 9-5 lead with 7:06 remaining in the quarter. Then, with 5:25 remaining in the first, Sam Smith (Chesterfield, Va./St. Gertrudes) found a cutting Matheny on a crafty inbounding play to retain a 13-9 advantage. Principia's Ariana Williams registered five more points in the back half of the quarter to lead a Panthers seven-to-two run, with the Lemon and Black down 15-16 after one.
- While the Panthers got the first bucket of the second quarter, the Yellow Jackets exploded for 13 consecutive points to take a 28-18 lead with 5:16 left in the half. Madison Langdon (Reading, Pa./Berks Catholic) started the run with a triple, Porter followed with two shots from distance of her own, and Matheny's efforts on the offensive glass led to two more close range buckets. With three minutes remaining in the half, Smith found Anna Wilcox (Asheville, N.C./A.C. Reynolds) for a three ball, after Matheny ripped down her 10th rebound of the contest. RMC finished the quarter up, 35-22, after a layup from Smith and block by Riley White (Hamilton, Va./Virginia Academy) to cap off a 20-4 run over the final 9:45 of the second.
- In the first minute of the second half, a hook shot from Matheny gave her a game-high 12 points, pushing the Yellow Jackets out to a 37-22 lead. Smith continued to drive the offense, as she found Matheny for a deuce and Langdon for her second triple on the Yellow Jackets' next possession. Holding a 20-point lead up 42-22, the Panthers finally got on the board, as Brown dropped in a free throw. With four minutes remaining in the third, Wilcox posted her second steal of the game and went on to find Smith for a layup to keep RMC up, 44-25. With 1:15 left in the third, White got on the board with a layup to give her team a 48-31 advantage heading into the fourth.
- Principia found its best offensive stretch of the game to open the fourth quarter, as Williams propelled the Panthers to the first six points. Their momentum continued to carry, as a three ball from Brown got the Panthers within single digits, down 42-50. After Byers cut the run with a layup of her own, the RMC offense clicked, as Porter drilled her fourth three of the game to push her squad out to a 57-44 lead with 3:15 remaining. Finally, Smith iced the game with a corner three, as a result of an incredible mid-air feed from Matheny to give RMC a 62-44 win.
Inside the Numbers
- Randolph-Macon out-rebounded Principia 51-to-33, including 34-23 on the defensive glass.
- RMC's 51 rebounds are just one shy of its season high. In controlling the time of possession (35:33 to 2:41) the Yellow Jackets were also able to hold their opponent to less than 45 for the third consecutive game.
- After grabbing her 10th rebound of the afternoon in just the second quarter, Matheny obtained her fourth double-double in RMC's past five games.
- The senior finished with 18 points and 16 rebounds, surpassing the 100 mark in each category this season, as she has 116 points and 107 rebounds in her 2025-26 campaign.
- Porter turned in a game and career-high four blocks during her 26 minutes played. She now has a career-high seven blocks this season, including a block in each of her past three games played.
- She also shot a career-high 4-of-9 from downtown, marking her third game this season with three-or-more threes.
- Smith finished with a season-high eight assists against the Panthers. She has now tallied four-or-more assists in six of her last eight games played, including five-or-more in back-to-back games.
- The junior guard also totaled a season-high eight rebounds. This was her second-career game with at least eight rebounds and eight assists each.
Up Next
Women's basketball tips off against (RV) Catholic at 4:00 p.m. tomorrow, Tuesday, December 16 for its second and final game of the Jamie Lynn Roberts D.C. Holiday Classic.
