ASHLAND, Va. – Despite only trailing by six at the half, the Yellow Jackets dropped a 72-54 contest after three first-quarter triples from
Sam Smith (Chesterfield, Va./St. Gertrudes).
The Basics:
Score: #6 Washington and Lee 72, Randolph-Macon 54
Venue: Ashland, Va. // Crenshaw Gymnasium // Randolph-Macon College
Records: Randolph-Macon (10-5, 4-2 ODAC), #6 Washington and Lee (15-0, 6-0 ODAC)
How it Happened
- At the 5:54 mark in the first quarter, Randolph-Macon led 8-4 thanks to back-to-back deep threes from Smith and a Yellow Jackets defense that only allowed 25 percent shooting. Washington and Lee tied the game at eight a piece, after two free throws from Icy Keneah and a fastbreak jumper from Mary Schleusner. Despite a quick counter layup from McKenzie Matheny (Fairfax Station, Va./West Springfield), the Generals earned a 14-12 lead with 1:32 left in the quarter after two free throws from Schleusner. With 28 seconds left in the frame, Smith nailed her third shot from downtown, giving her squad a 17-16 lead heading into the second quarter.
- Liz Wyrick (Greensboro, N.C./Greensboro Day) checked into the game and gave her team a 21-18 lead with 8:49 left in the half after an offensive rebound that led to a putback layup. Just as the Generals earned a 22-21 lead with 6:56 to go, Riley White (Hamilton, Va./Virginia Academy) drilled her first three-pointer to push RMC back ahead, 24-22. Over the next five minutes, free throws from Schleusner and shots from Keneah made up a 16-6 run for the Generals, as their momentum carried them to a 38-30 lead with 39 seconds remaining in the half. To give the Lemon and Black some momentum heading into the break, Smith found Emion Byers (Louisa County, Va./Louisa) for a layup on RMC's last possession, as W&L only held a 38-32 lead.
- The Generals scored the first five points out of the break, before Smith found a cutting Matheny for a reverse layup, putting RMC down 34-43. On two of the Yellow Jackets' next three possessions, Matheny hit a long two and a layup to counter a layup from Keneah, but RMC still trailed 51-40 with 3:35 remaining in the quarter. After W&L hit a midrange shot to increase its lead, the home team went on an 8-2 run to close out the third quarter, as they only trailed 55-48 after Erin Porter (Virginia Beach, Va./Kettle Run) sank three buckets.
- Randolph-Macon closed its deficit to five after Porter located Matheny for another shot in the paint, closing the W&L lead to 55-50 with 9:30 left in the game. Then, after a few missed field goals from the Yellow Jackets, the Generals tallied seven-straight points, extending their lead to 62-50 with 7:10 to go. Despite the consistent scoring down the stretch from Schleusner, Porter and Wyrick were able to hit layups to get the game back within single digits. Up 62-54, Washington and Lee scored the game's next 12 points, to push past Randolph-Macon, 72-54.
Inside the Numbers
- The Yellow Jackets led the Generals in offensive rebounds, 18-to-13, while W&L led in total rebounds, 46-to-41.
- While both teams sank 24 shots from the field, RMC created 73 shot attempts, compared to 59 from Washington and Lee.
- The Lemon and Black held their turnovers to seven on the afternoon, while the Generals registered eight.
- Matheny led the Yellow Jackets in points (14) and rebounds (eight). She also added a block and a steal, while shooting 7-of-15 from the field.
- Smith finished second on the team with 13 points and contributed seven assists, five rebounds, a block and a steal. The guard has now tallied three-or-more threes in two of her past three games.
- Wyrick finished the contest with a career-high 10 points and added three offensive rebounds. She also shot five-of-nine from the field, marking a personal best in field goals made.
Up Next
The Lemon and Black tip off against Virginia Wesleyan at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, January 21, in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
