LYNCHBURG, Va. --- The University of Lynchburg and Roanoke College did not disappoint in their first-ever meeting in the ODAC women's basketball championship game on Thursday evening in Lynchburg's Turner Gymnasium. The Hornets fast-start and late-push was met by the Maroons timely outside shooting in the Lynchburg's 67-61 triumph to lift their second ODAC women's basketball trophy.
Lynchburg (11-1, 6-1 ODAC) enjoyed an early 7-0 advantage and led by as many as eight points at 14-6 with 1:30 on the board in the opening period, outside shooting from Rose Sande saw Roanoke (10-4, 6-2 ODAC) take its first lead at 17-15 just 2:05 into the second frame.
JaBryah Haverkamp, who joined Sande as the Maroons' honorees on the ODAC All-Tournament Team, pushed RC's lead to 27-17 five minutes before the intermission. Lynchburg quickly erased that advantage with Sammi Sever pulling the Hornets level at 27-all with 3:06 to go in the first half.
Scoring was at a premium throughout the remainder of the half with Lynchburg taking a two-point edge to the break at 32-30.
The third quarter proved a tight 10 minutes that featured four ties. Roanoke earned a five-point lead at one point and Lynchburg led by six at another, but any advantage proved moot with Sande closing the period with her fourth three-pointer of the contest for a 50-50 stalemate with the final quarter pending.
Lynchburg earned the first significant lead of the four period at 55-50 following a pair of free throws my tournament MOP Lizzie Davis with 7:48 on the clock. Roanoke pulled to within one point on two occasions before a pair of tosses from the charity stripe by Morgan Micallef gave RC is its lead of the frame at 58-57 with 3:15 to go.
The Maroons edge would be short-lived and its last with Davis again connecting on two from the line for a 59-58 lead with 3:05 to play. She and fellow all-tournament team member Maggie Quarles combined on a pair of Davis-to-Quarles lay-ups further extend the Hornets advantage. Sande tried to keep RC close with the last of her five made three-pointers with 1:01 on the board, but free throws by Davis and the game's leading scorer, Abby Oguich, sealed Lynchburg's second league crown.
Oguich led all scorers with 22 points to go with 11 rebounds and three assists. Quarles and Davis added 11 points each and combined for eight boards and five assists. Sever notched 12 points, six boards, and two assists off the bench.
Sande led Roanoke with 15 points powered by a 5-of-9 showing from deep. Haverkamp added 14 points which Whitney Hopson adding nine points and six boards to the Maroons' stat sheet.
Lynchburg claimed its first ODAC title in 2016 when both the school's men's and women's programs boasted league hardware. Roanoke, winners of an ODAC-record 13 women's basketball championships, featured in its first conference title game since finishing as the runner-up to Randolph-Macon College in 2011.
ODAC ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
- Kayla Cabiness | Ferrum College
- Lizzie Davis | University of Lynchburg (MOP)
- Maggie Quarles | University of Lynchburg
- JaBryah Haverkamp | Roanoke College
- Rose Sande | Roanoke College
- Megan Horn | Washington and Lee University