SALEM, Va. – Women's hoops earned its ninth consecutive win to close out the 2026 regular season, after
Sam Smith (Chesterfield, Va./St. Gertrudes) recorded her first-career double-double with points and rebounds.
The Basics:
Score: Randolph-Macon 55, Roanoke 42
Venue: Salem, Va. // Cregger Center // Roanoke College
Records: Randolph-Macon (19-6, 13-3 ODAC), Roanoke (12-13, 6-10 ODAC)
How it Happened
- Erin Porter (Virginia Beach, Va./Kettle Run) got the scoring started, as she buried a three for the first shot of the game, with Riley White (Hamilton, Va./Virginia Academy) getting the assist. Ashley Fowler responded with a three for Roanoke and a pair of three throws had the hosts leading 5-4 with 6:04 to play. Then, after a layup and pull up jumper from the Maroons, Smith caught fire, as she nailed back-to-back triples, leading her team to a 12-11 advantage with 3:38 to play. In the final minute McKenzie Matheny (Fairfax Station, Va./West Springfield) pushed the lead out to 14-12, on a layup with the pass coming from Madison Langdon (Reading, Pa./Berks Catholic).
- The defense tightened over the first 3:01 of the second, until the Maroons hit a jumper to pull within two. While White responded with a deuce and Porter laced her second three of the evening, it was Roanoke holding a 23-19 lead with 4:11 to play, after a slew of layups and free throws. The Yellow Jackets offense then started to click, as three separate players scored on the 7-0 run to close the half. Matheny knocked down two free throws, Liz Wyrick (Greensboro, N.C./Greensboro Day) converted on a hook shot, and Smith buried her third shot from downtown, giving RMC a 26-23 lead at the break.
- Over the first 3:57 of the third, the Yellow Jackets ballooned their lead to 33-25, thanks to a three-pointer from White and deuces from Smith and Matheny. Roanoke held its own, as the Maroons posted the next five points of the contest on a three and a layup, still trailing 30-33 with 2:10 to play. Wyrick ended the run with a bucket of her own, before Emion Byers (Louisa County, Va./Louisa) and Matheny each dropped in close-range shots, pushing their squad back out to a 39-32 cushion. The Yellow Jackets entered the fourth leading 41-32, thanks to an offensive rebound and putback from Anna Wilcox (Asheville, N.C./A.C. Reynolds).
- Byers gave the Lemon and Black an 11-points lead after Matheny located the senior forward for a layup, forcing a timeout from the hosts. Byers then knocked down a career-high four consecutive free throws, giving her eight points to accompany her six rebounds. Leading 47-34 with 4:35 left on the clock, the Yellow Jackets executed down the stretch, as free throws from Smith, Byers and Langdon culminated in a 55-42 RMC win.
Inside the Numbers
- The Yellow Jackets led the Maroons in field goal percentage (29.5-to-26.4), three point percentage (30.0-to-19.0) and free throw percentage (72.2-to-71.4).
- RMC continues to control the glass this season, as they led 47-to-37 in rebounds, including 35-to-33 in defensive rebounds and 12-to-4 in offensive rebounds.
- Smith finished with game-highs in points (15), rebounds (10) and steals (four). This was her first career double-double with points and rebounds and second career double-double overall.
- Matheny finished behind Smith with the second-highest totals in points (nine) and rebounds (eight). She also added two blocks, two assists and a steal.
- Byers totaled eight points and six rebounds across her 25 minutes or play, while knocking down a career-high four free throws.
- Seven of the eight Yellow Jackets who appeared in tonight's contest recorded three-or-more rebounds.
Up Next
The Yellow Jackets will host an ODAC Quarterfinal game, with the date and time to be announced.
