EMORY, Va. – The Shenandoah University Women's Basketball Team (4-6, 3-5 ODAC) opened up a 21-8 lead through the first quarter and held off a late Emory & Henry (5-7, 4-4 ODAC) rally to claim a 71-67 Old Dominion Athletic Conference win in the final game of the regular season.
The contest also served as Senior Day for the Wasps, who honored their five seniors prior to tipoff.
The Basics
FINAL SCORE – Shenandoah 71 Emory & Henry 67
LOCATION – Emory, Virginia
VENUE – Bob Johnson Court at the John Rutledge King Center
RECORDS – Emory & Henry (5-7, 4-4 ODAC); Shenandoah (4-6, 3-5 ODAC)
How It Happened
- SU surged out to a 15-2 lead at the 4:41 mark of the opening period. The Wasps closed the gap to nine, 17-8 but the Hornets scored four in a row to go back ahead 21-8 through 10 minutes of play.
- Emory & Henry started the second on an 11-2 run, closing the gap to four (23-19) with 5:25 on the clock. Shenandoah responded with six of the final seven points of the period to take a 29-20 lead into the locker room.
- After the Hornets scored the first five points of the third to take a 34-20 lead, the Wasps put up an 11-2 run to get within five, 36-31, with 6:54 remaining. The squads traded baskets through the remainder of the quarter with SU leading, 49-43, with one period to play.
- Early in the fourth, Shenandoah pushed the lead back to seven (55-48), but Emory & Henry went on an 11-4 run to tie the contest at 59-all. The Hornets scored nine of the next 10 points for a 68-60 advantage with 1:29 to go, but back-to-back buckets by the Wasps closed the gap to 68-65. SU hit three-of-four free throws down the stretch to hold off the E&H rally for the 71-67 win.
Emory & Henry Individual Leaders
- Junior center Alexis Hoppers (Sparta, N.C.) put up a team-high 21 points, going 11-for-12 from the free throw line and added 13 rebounds for a double-double.
- Freshman guard Taylor Owens (Bristol, Tenn.) had a season-best 19 points and six rebounds off the bench, hitting four three-pointers, while senior guards Kylea Cooper (Hickory, N.C.) and Josie Salyer (Mount Carmel, Tenn.) went for eight and six points, respectively. Salyer finished with three rebounds, three steals and two assists.
Shenandoah Individual Leaders
- Olivia Weinel led all players with 27 points, adding seven rebounds on 12-for-15 shooting, while Ragan Johnson had 17 points, six boards and four assists.
- Sarah Sondrol contributed 14 points and three rebounds while Sierra St. Cyr went for nine points, seven assists, six rebounds and two steals.
A Deeper Look
- Emory & Henry made just 34.4 percent (22-of-64) of its field goals with eight three-pointers. The Wasps hit 15-of-17 (88.2%) of their free throws.
- Shenandoah shot 29-for-54 (53.7%) for the game and went 11-for-18 (61.1%) at the stripe.
- E&H and SU tied, 39-39, on rebounding, but 12 offensive boards for the Wasps translated into a 19-9 advantage on second-chance points.
- The Hornets held a 46-26 lead on points in the paint.
Up Next
- Emory & Henry will now await the announcement of the field for the 2021 ODAC Women's Basketball Tournament. The field will be announced by the league office on the evening of Monday, March 1.
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