Maroons to Face Yellow Jackets for ODAC Crown
SALEM, Va. – Junior center Nicci
Moats scored a career-high 25 points and grabbed 16 rebounds to
lead Roanoke College past Guilford College, 68-57, in an Old
Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Women's Basketball Tournament
semifinal Saturday at the Salem Civic Center.
The third-seeded Maroons (19-7) advanced to their
18th ODAC Tournament final on the strength of their
veteran post players: Moats, senior Jordan Gholson and senior Kylie
Lucas. The trio combined for 49 points of Roanoke's 68 points and
collected 27 of the team's 40 rebounds.
Top-seeded Randolph-Macon goes in search of its seventh ODAC crown
on Sunday. The Yellow Jackets have hoisted five conference
plaques since 2003, last winning in 2009. Roanoke has claimed
an ODAC-best 13 women's basketball championships, but hasn't won a
title since the 2000 season.
Sunday will mark the third championship-deciding meeting between
R-MC and RC. The Maroons topped the Yellow Jackets, 85-75, in
1994. Randolph-Macon returned the favor in 1996, defeating
Roanoke, 84-73. This year, R-MC won both regular season
meetings; 73-71 on January 14 at Roanoke, and 56-45 on February 18
in Ashland.
Roanoke's veteran frontcourt also overshadowed seventh-seeded
Guilford's impressive freshman post tandem of Morgan
King and Gabby
Oglesby. King scored four points Saturday, after
hitting for a career-high 22 in the Quakers' upset of second-seeded
Bridgewater College Thursday. Oglesby was held to five points, more
than six below her season average.
Guilford fell behind by nine points early, but recovered thanks
to Jazlyn
Gibbs and six first-half three-pointers. Gibbs
scored 13 of her team-high 23 points in the opening period,
including a three that gave Guilford a 31-28 edge three minutes
before halftime.
The Maroons closed the half on a 7-0 run that included four Moats
points and a Lucas bucket. Gholson (13 points, 8 rebounds) and
Moats opened the second-half scoring, which created a 39-31 Roanoke
lead. A Gibbs three-pointer pulled Guilford within five, but the
Quakers drew no closer.
Rebecca Bays scored 11 points and contributed six assists for
Roanoke. The Maroons outscored Guilford in the paint, 42-22, and
converted 16 Guilford turnovers into 20 points.
Brittany Atwater and Logan
Terry both scored eight points for the Quakers.
King grabbed a team-best 10 boards.
Roanoke faces Randolph-Macon College in Sunday's ODAC Tournament
final. The Yellow Jackets beat Washington and Lee University,
79-66, in Saturday's other semifinal.
Guilford finished with a 15-12 record, its most wins since
2004.
The Guilford College sports information department
contributed to this release.