SALEM, Va. - For the third time in the last four seasons, the fourth-ranked Washington and Lee University women's basketball team hoisted the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Trophy as they defeated Randolph-Macon, 67-56, at the Salem Civic Center.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Generals (28-0) jumped out to a 6-2 lead two minutes into the game as Mary Schleusner scored back-to-back buckets while Zou Raine added a pair of points at the free-throw line. McKenzie Matheny made it a two-point game with a layup before two more Schleusner baskets gave W&L a 10-5 lead. The Yellow Jackets (21-7) scored six unanswered points to knot the game at 10. Both teams traded points in the final two minutes to send the game into the second quarter tied at 15.
- Megan Zimmerman kick-started an 11-2 run for the Blue and White in the second with a triple to give them a 26-17 lead. RMC cut the lead to five with a pair of free throws and a jumper from Matheny. The Yellow Jackets went on a ensuing 9-0 run in the final two minutes of the half to take a 31-29 lead before Caroline Shimp knocked down an elbow jumper to send both teams into the break deadlocked at 31.
- The Blue and White came out of halftime firing as they rattled off 12 unanswered points to take a 43-31 lead. Schleusner highlighted the scoring stretch with seven points, while Sam Collins knocked down a shot from beyond the arc and Icy Keneah added a layup. However, the Yellow Jackets used a 10-0 run to get themselves right back into the game before Quinn McGuinness shut down the run with a layup of her own. Sam Smith of RMC knocked down both of her shots at the charity stripe to send the Generals into the final quarter of play with a 47-45 lead.
- The fourth quarter started with a two-minute scoring drought before Sam Smith gave the Yellow Jackets a one-point lead as she buried a triple. Both teams traded the lead for a few possessions before McGuinness knocked down a three-pointer to put the Generals up 52-50. RMC knotted the game at 52 as Erin Porter knocked down a pair of foul shots, but after Sarah Zimmerman made a layup with 5:27 left, the Generals took the lead and never gave it back. A three-point play from Matheny cut the lead to one until the Generals ended the game on an 11-0 run to secure the 67-55 win.
TOP PERFORMERS
- Mary Schleusner led the championship game with 31 points on 13-of-19 shooting while grabbing 18 rebounds. She also added two blocks, one steal, and one assist. Sarah Zimmerman tacked on 12 points, adding eight rebounds, two blocks, an assist, and a steal. Sam Collins added a career-high two blocks in the win, while Icy Keneah, Elka Prechel, and Riley Bryant each recorded a steal.
- Sam Smith led the Yellow Jackets with 18 points and eight rebounds, adding an assist and a steal. McKenzie Matheny added 15 points on 7-of-16 shooting, grabbing four boards while recording an assist and a block.
TEAM STATS
- The Blue and White hoisted their third championship in the last four seasons and fourth overall title with the win, moving to 28-0 on the season heading into the NCAA Tournament. This also marks the fifth-straight NCAA Tournament appearance for the squad and the sixth overall.
- The Blue and White shot 37.9 percent (25-of-66), including a game-high 46.7 percent (7-of-15) in the third quarter. The Generals knocked down three shots from beyond the arc while going 14-of-16 (87.5%) at the free-throw line.
- W&L won the rebounding battle by 13 (49-36) but committed 14 turnovers compared to Randolph-Macon's 13. The Blue and White scored 36 points in the paint while adding 18 second-chance points. They scored 11 points off RMC's 13 turnovers, while the bench provided 14 points.
ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
UP NEXT
- The fourth-ranked Generals secured the league's automatic qualifier and will learn where and who they will play in the NCAA Tournament tomorrow afternoon at 2:30 p.m. during the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball selection show. You can watch the show at NCAA.com.
Nestled in the mountains of Virginia, Washington and Lee University is a proud member of NCAA Division III and the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. Founded in 1749, W&L is the ninth-oldest college in the United States and a top-ranked liberal arts university. With over 500 student-athletes in 24 varsity sports, the Generals have celebrated over 265 conference championships. Learn more about the Blue and White by visiting www.generalssports.com or on social media at @WLUGenerals.
