ASHLAND, Va. – In an incredibly competitive 40 minutes of play, Randolph-Macon defeated Virginia Wesleyan for its eighth consecutive win, thanks to record-setting nights from
McKenzie Matheny (Fairfax Station, Va./West Springfield) and
Sam Smith (Chesterfield, Va./St. Gertrudes).
The Basics:
Score: Randolph-Macon 54, Virginia Wesleyan 39
Venue: Ashland, Va. // Crenshaw Gymnasium // Randolph-Macon College
Records: Randolph-Macon (18-6, 12-3 ODAC), Virginia Wesleyan (13-11, 7-8 ODAC)
How it Happened
- Virginia Weslyan recorded the first four points of the contest, after Keira Bagwell and Bre Robinson each hit midrange jump shots. At the 8:16 mark of the first, Erin Porter (Virginia Beach, Va./Kettle Run) got RMC on the board with a turnaround jumper. The Yellow Jackets held the Marlins scoreless until there was 4:47 remaining in the first, as Robinson scored again for WVU before Smith dropped a pass into the paint for Matheny, keeping the home team within two, down 4-6. While Smith found Liz Wyrick (Greensboro, N.C./Greensboro Day) for a layup in the last minute of the frame, free throws from the Marlins gave them a 10-7 lead before the second.
- The Randolph-Macon offense exploded on a 7-0 run to begin the second frame of play, as both Smith and Emion Byers (Louisa County, Louisa) put layups in to give their squad a 15-10 lead over the first 2:21. Even though a free throw from the Marlins stopped the run, a triple from Porter and layups from Matheny and Smith highlighted another 10-1 run for the Lemon and Black, surging them out to a 25-11 lead with 1:54 before the half. Going into the half leading 27-14, Randolph-Macon turned the entire second quarter into a 20-4 run, capped off by free throws from Matheny.
- Matheny got the scoring started in the third, as Byers located the senior forward with a quick pass, pushing RMC's lead to 29-14. With 4:35 to go, Virginia Wesleyan missed a free throw and got its own offensive rebound for a putback, but Wyrick responded with a bucket of her own, keeping RMC up 33-22. With 1:25 to go, the Yellow Jackets got the crowd on their feet, as Matheny found a cutting Anna Wilcox (Asheville, N.C./A.C. Reynolds) for a layup off the top of the glass, keeping the home team ahead 35-27. Despite some free three throws from the Marlins, a slick pass from Riley White (Hamilton, Va./Virginia Academy) to Matheny gave the Lemon and Black a 37-28 cushion after three.
- After a flagrant foul from the Marlins, the home team responded with an impactful bucket, as Matheny ripped down an offensive rebound and assisted Smith on a baseline jumper, extending the Yellow Jackets' lead to 39-30. While VWU hit a three, Porter responded with a clutch three of her own on the wing before Smith drilled a nice shot off the glass, keeping RMC ahead, 44-33 with 6:50 to play. Over the next two minutes, Porter laced yet another triple, before Smith made a cutting layup and canned a deep shot from downtown, increasing her team's cushion to 52-33. With 1:50 remaining in the contest, Wilcox crossed over and hit a dagger layup, icing a competitive 54-39 win.
Inside the Numbers
- Randolph-Macon held Virginia Wesleyan to just 14 points in the first half, marking the fewest points allowed in any half this season.
- Smith finished with a game-high 16 points and also added six rebounds, five assists and five steals. The junior guard knocked down a game-high six shots, while shooting an efficient six-of-12 from the field.
- Porter tallied 13 points across her 29 minutes of play, while also converting on three of her six three-point attempts.
- Matheny finished play with 11 points, 13 rebounds, three assists, two steals and one block.
- White totaled five steals during her 29 minutes of action, marking a substantial new career-high in the category.
For the Record
- After finishing the contest with five assists, Smith now has 330 in her career. With this value, she surpassed Salem Schaffer (2004-06, 328 assists) for the 10th most in a career at Randolph-Macon.
- This season, Smith now sits at 115 assists, surpassing her single-season record from last year (110).
- Furthermore, after burying six shots and three free throws for 16 points, Smith now has 273 points this season, surpassing her single-season personal best mark from the 2024-25 campaign (270).
- With Matheny's 11 points and 13 rebounds against the Marlins, she now racked up 14 double-doubles in her 2025-26 campaign. The senior forward joined Kelly Williams (three times), Kaitlin Anderson (twice) and Jane Elkins as the only Randolph-Macon women's basketball players to reach the mark in a single season.
Up Next
Women's hoops travels to Salem, Virginia, to take on Roanoke at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, February 21.
