ASHLAND, Va. – After posting a season-high 83 points in their win against Guilford, the Yellow Jackets earned their seventh win in-a-row, good for their longest winning streak of the season.
The Basics:
Score: Randolph-Macon 83, Guilford 75
Venue: Ashland, Va. // Crenshaw Gymnasium // Randolph-Macon College
Records: Randolph-Macon (17-6, 11-3 ODAC), Guilford (18-5, 9-5 ODAC)
How it Happened
- Randolph-Macon got an early 6-5 lead, as McKenzie Matheny (Fairfax Station, Va./West Springfield) found Emion Byers (Louisa County, Va./Louisa) for a long two, before Matheny converted on a floater and fastbreak layup of her own with 6:44 left in the first. While Guilford took an 10-8 lead after some free throws, Matheny found a cutting Byers before also locating Erin Porter (Virginia Beach, Va./Kettle Run) for three on the far wing, putting her squad up 13-11. With 1:10 left in the frame, Madison Langon (Reading, Pa/Berks Catholic) knocked down an elbow jumper before Porter nailed back-to-back threes, forcing a timeout from the Quakers as they trailed 16-24. Two more free throws from Porter saw the home team hold a 26-18 lead after one.
- RMC extended its lead to 30-22, after both Riley White (Hamilton, Va./Virginia Academy) and Byers made layups with 8:10 on the clock. Byers continued to drive the offense, as she found Liz Wyrick (Greensboro, N.C./Greensboro Day) down low before assisting White on a corner three, pushing the Yellow Jackets further ahead, 36-27. With 3:43 to play, the Lemon and Black surged out to a 40-27 cushion, thanks to a layup from Byers and an and-one from Sam Smith (Chesterfield, Va./St. Gertrudes). White the Quakers crept back to a 37-42 deficit, free throws and a triple from Smith in the final minute gave the home team a 48-37 advantage at the break.
- Out of the half, Smith canned a shot from downtown before both Byers and Smith made two-point shots, forcing a timeout from Guilford as it found itself down 39-55. At the 5:18 mark, the junior point guard used two crafty passes to hit Matheny for a layup and White for a corner three extending her team's lead to 62-46. Even though the Quakers worked the game back to single digits, White found Byers for a turnaround floater, giving her a career-high 12 points and a 64-54 lead, before a layup from Smith put RMC up 66-54 after three.
- With 7:39 remaining in the contest, Smith assisted Porter on a corner triple before getting her own driving layup to fall, helping get the Yellow Jackets earn a 73-58 lead. Porter then completed a conventional three-point play with 5:01 remaining to help her team continue its offensive pressure, as the home team maintained a 16-point separation. In the final minute, the Quakers threatened, as a game-high 32 points from Briahna Scott got GC back within five, only trailing 74-79. Porter was able to get a nice shot off the glass to fall before two Yellow Jackets made free throws, giving RMC a 83-75 senior day win.
Inside the Numbers
- Randolph-Macon scored 48 points in the first half, representing the team's highest point total in any half this season.
- After totaling 83 points in their win against Guilford, the Lemon and Black set a new season-high.
- Porter led the Yellow Jackets with 21 points, as she also added four rebounds, three steals, two assists and one block.
- The sophomore guard made seven of her 13 field goals, giving her a fourth-straight game with six or more buckets. She also made four of her eight threes.
- Smith stuffed the stat sheet with 20 points, three rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block. The junior guard was efficient from the field, making seven of her 15 shots, including two of her five from downtown.
- Byers notched a career-high 12 points, while also adding six rebounds, three assists and one steal.
- Matheny finished the contest with 10 points, seven rebounds, five assists and two steals, while knocking down five of her seven shots.
- Lilly Davis (Mooresville, N.C./Mooresville) earned her first start of the season.
Up Next
Women's hoops hosts Virginia Wesleyan on Wednesday, February 18 at 7:30 p.m. for RMC's Play4Kay Pink Game.
