Early Lead Holds Up Under Tense Final Minutes

SALEM , Va. --- Tonia Jones stood at the free throw line in one of the most pressure-packed situations in her intercollegiate basketball career and understood that Virginia Wesleyan College 's season was on the line...literally.

Roanoke College 's top-seeded Maroons, virtually playing in their own backyard at the Salem Civic Center , had just produced a dramatic comeback to cut what was once an 18-point Virginia Wesleyan College lead to 50-49.  Jones had to deal with that and a large, revved up partisan crowd hoping to see the Maroons complete the rally.

Jones ( Williamsburg , Va. / Jamestown ) stood calmly at the line, stared intently at the hoop, and let her first free throw fly. The result...nothing but net, evoking a roar from a sizeable VWC contingent of fans.  Her second shot was a repeat of the first, giving the Marlins a 52-49 advantage with 17 seconds on the clock.

"I'm not sure what I was thinking," said Jones. "I've never felt that way before, ever.  I just knew I had to make them."

She did that and turned around to help her Marlin teammates apply defensive pressure to take seconds off the clock and hurry Roanoke into shots.  A three-point attempt by All-ODAC honoree Caitlyn Long ( Roanoke , Va. /Cave Spring) missed the mark, but was rebounded by 6-foot-2 Nicci Moats ( Blue Ridge , Va. /Lord Botetourt) whose layup attempt also failed.  VWC senior Maggie Davis ( Chesapeake , Va./Home schooled) ripped down the rebound, her 14th of the game, and drew a foul.

Davis missed the front end of a bonus situation with two seconds on the clock, Moats rebounded, but it was all too late for the Maroons.  The final buzzer sounded, finalizing the 52-49 upset and marking Virginia Wesleyan as a finalist in Sunday's ODAC championship game at 1 p.m. 

VWC (17-10), which never trailed the Maroons (23-3), will be making its third appearance in the title game in four years.  The Marlins finished as runner-up in 2007 and 2008.

While Jones' free throws were crucial in getting the Marlins to the title game, she was just one of many "heroes" for the Marlins, who avenged two regular-season losses to the Maroons: 

??????there was sophomore Kristen Blalock ( Suffolk , Va. / Portsmouth Christian) who hit 3-of-4 shots, including two huge three-pointers, to help VWC into an 18-11 lead with 9:35 remaining in the first half...

??????there was sophomore Beth Ann Boyce ( Colonial Heights , Va. / Colonial Heights ) who hit two big time triples in the final 4:24 of the first half...

??????and there was sophomore Jocelyn Spencer ( Newport News , Va. / Hampton Roads Academy ) who scored eight first half points to help the Marlins build a stunning 37-21 halftime lead.

Roanoke , which finished 19-1 against ODAC competition during the regular season, kept its poise however, and waited for the breaks to creep back in the competition.  That started to happen in the final 12 minutes, after VWC stretched its lead to 44-26.  The Marlins hit a cold spell and the Maroons got hot, putting together a 21-4 scoring run. Led by Kendra Porter ( Jamestown , N.C./Dudley) with seven points, seven Maroons scored in the surge that cut the VWC lead to 48-47 on a layup by All-ODAC Jordan Gholson ( Louisa , Va. /Louisa). 

VWC, which hit 1-of-14 field goal attempts in that stretch, stayed calm and curtailed the Maroon momentum with a crucial Blalock jumper that gave the Marlins a 50-47 lead with 1:48 on the clock.  Roanoke kept its hopes simmering however, when Long nailed two big free throws with 51 seconds to play. 

All-ODAC Jaleesa Osborne (Ordinary, Va./Gloucester) rebounded a missed three-point attempt on the Marlins' ensuing possession and the Maroons had the chance to take the lead in the final minute.  Speedy Porter drove to the basket for a layup attempt, but when she went up for the shot VWC's Davis came in from behind to swat the ball away.  Spencer retrieved the rebound in the corner and VWC had possession with 23 seconds remaining.

Jones' crucial free throws followed shortly thereafter as the Maroons fouled in an attempt to get the ball.

Virginia Wesleyan hit only 7-of-10 free throws in the contest, but helped itself with solid long-range shooting.  The Marlins hit seven triples, all in the first half to build the lead.  Five Marlins hit the threes, led by Blalock and Boyce with two each.

The Marlins also helped themselves by controlling the boards against the taller Maroons, posting a 44-33 rebounding advantage.  Davis led VWC with 14 boards, 11 off the defensive glass.  Moats pulled down 10 for the Maroons, seven on the defensive side.

Jones led VWC scoring with 13 points, followed by Blalock with 12, and Spencer with 11.

Moats was the only Maroon to finish in double-figure scoring, tallying 12 points.

This release is courtesy of the Virginia Wesleyan College sports information department.