LEXINGTON, Va. - Randolph-Macon women's basketball won its program best seventeenth straight game, behind two double-double performances and tough end of game defense to defeat #13 Washington and Lee 86-83.
The Basics:
Score: (RV) Randolph-Macon 86, #13/#17 Washington and Lee 83
Venue: Lexington, Va. // Holekamp Gym // Washington and Lee University
Records: Randolph-Macon (18-1, 11-0 ODAC), Washington and Lee (17-3, 9-2 ODAC)
How it Happened:
- Washington and Lee began the game scoring the first seven of ten points, taking an early 7-3 lead with 6:01 left in the first period. Juliana Park (Fairfax Station, Va./Davidson Day) and McKenzie Matheny (Fairfax Station, Va./West Springfield) both nailed back-to-back three-pointers to tie up the game at 9-9 with 4:12 on the clock. The Generals answered with a 8-0 run to take momentum and the lead back at 17-9 late in the period. The Lemon and Black scored five straight points in the final minute to pull within three, still trailing 17-14 after the first period.
- In the second period, Mary Schleusner and Quinn McGuinness scored the first five points and extended the Washington and Lee lead to 22-16. Bella Bruce (Herndon, Va./Westfield) nailed a three ball and Catherine Kagey (Roanoke, Va./Faith Christian) converted a driving layup to cut the deficit to 22-21 with 5:20 until the halftime break. Kagey would give Randolph-Macon its first lead of the game with back-to-back layups with 2:50 on the clock, setting the score at 27-24. The Generals scored the final six points of the period, giving them the lead 30-27 at the halftime break.
- Washington and Lee began the third period on a 7-2 led by Schleusner with five points to build the lead up to 37-29. The Yellow Jackets would get the offense rolling in the middle portion of the period, scoring 12 of the next 18 points. The run would consist of five different players recording a basket and the run would be capped off by a Sam Smith (Chesterfield, Va./St. Gertrudres) basket, pulling within two points at 43-41. Schleusner and the Generals would again take momentum with a 7-1 run, taking a 50-42 lead with 2:38 left in the period. The final two minutes would be both teams trading baskets and Washington and Lee would lead 56-49 into the final ten minutes of regulation.
- In the fourth period, Smith scored four of the first six points for Randolph-Macon, pulling the deficit again down to one possession at 58-56. Kagey would tie up the game with a basket at 5:49 on the clock and set the score at 60-60. The Lemon and Black saw Smith knock down two clutch free throws with 3:07 on the clock to give the lead back to Randolph-Macon at 65-64. The Generals would not go away easily, as Schleusner knocked down one out of two free throws with under a minute left, giving the lead back to WLU 69-67. Park made a clutch basket with :18 seconds on the clock to tie up the game at 69-69. Morgan Miller (Lancaster, Pa./Penn Manor) stole the ball on the next position and almost knocked down a game-winning shot from halfcourt.
- Washington and Lee scored the first four points of the first overtime period, taking a 73-69 lead. The Yellow Jackets used free throws to pull within a point, trailing 73-72 with 2:58 on the clock. Smith was clutch again from the free throw line and gave the lead back to Randolph-Macon with 1:08 on the clock at 79-78. Lauren Actor made a layup for the Generals and Matheny made free throws to set the score at 80-80.
- In the second overtime, Matheny scored five of the six points for the Yellow Jackets in the five minute period. Washington and Lee struggled from the free throw line and would be down 86-83 with :24 seconds left. The Yellow Jackets defense came up with a clutch set and forced the Generals into a tough three point chance, Washington and Lee was not able to knock it down. Randolph-Macon would bring home the 86-83 victory back home to Ashland.
Inside the Numbers:
- Randolph-Macon shot 39.0 percent from the floor, as Washington and Lee knocked down 38.7 percent of its shots.
- The Yellow Jackets outrebounded the Generals 53-to-50 in the entire game.
- Matheny and Kagey both recorded a double-double in the game. Matheny finished with 20 points, 11 rebounds, three blocks and two assists. Kagey ended the game with 17 points, 13 rebounds, three assists, two steals and a blocked shot.
- Park scored 17 points to go along with a trio of three-pointers off the bench.
- Smith recorded 13 points, four rebounds, two steals and an assist for the Yellow Jackets.
- Bruce had ten points and five rebounds in the game.
- Miller finished with nine rebounds to go along with five points and four steals.
Up Next
Randolph-Macon will welcome in (RV) Bridgewater College on Wednesday, Feb. 5, for a 7 p.m. conference clash.
