LYNCHBURG, Va. -- Four Virginia Wesleyan College players scored in double figures on Friday and two recorded career-highs to lead the Marlins to a decisive 95-46 Old Dominion Athletic Conference victory over the host WildCats of Randolph College.
Rookie Sarah Seipp (Gaithersburg, Md./Gaithersburg) led the effort with 22 points, her second 20+ scoring effort of the season and ninth straight double-digit showing. Senior Kristen Blalock (Suffolk, Va./Portsmouth Christian) added 13 points, sophomore Katie Tassa (Bristow, Va./Manassas Osbourn Park) tallied a career-high 11, and rookie Brittany Glasco (Fredericksburg, Va./Massaponax) scored 10 points. Sophomore Christina Morris (Manassas, Va./Osbourn Park) added a career-high eight points.
The victory was the fourth in a row for the Marlins, and the sixth in the last seven games, improving VWC to 13-3 overall and to 10-1 in the ODAC. Randolph drops s to 3-11 overall and to 0-9 in the conference.
Randolph started off well and pushed out to a 14-10 lead with 12:08 remaining in the first half, helped by timely scoring from Jensen Hoover (Woodstock, Va./Central) and Lauren French (Blairs, Va./Chatham). But, senior Shawnee Lewis (Alexandria, Va./Thomas A. Edison) nailed a triple, sparking a 19-0 Virginia Wesleyan run that put the Marlins in front for good. Lewis and Blalock both scored six points in the run that gave VWC a 29-14 lead with 8:28 remaining before the break.
Randolph ended its scoring draught briefly before Virginia Wesleyan ignited again. This time on a 14-2 run that stretched the Marlins' lead to 45-20. Six Marlins scored in the surge, led by Seipp and Tassa with three points each. VWC went on to lead 56-25 at halftime.
Virginia Wesleyan remained in command the rest of the way and utilized a talented bench to maintain the lead. The Marlins posted their largest lead at 95-42 after junior Rachael Miller (Sterling, Va./Park View) hit a triple in the closing minutes.
Seipp's game-leading scoring total was helped by a 6-of-12 showing from the floor and a 10-of-16 effort from the free throw lines. The 10 freebies made matches not only her career high, but also the VWC rookie record for free throws made in a game. Seipp also recorded nine steals, tying the VWC game record set by Angie Cavanaugh in 2003 and tied by Michelle Dove, also in 2003. The Marlins recorded 22 steals overall, tying the fourth highest total in VWC history.
Virginia Wesleyan helped itself by dominating the boards, 54-34. Morris pulled down a career-high nine rebounds and sophomore Symonne Newsome (Reistertown, Md./St. Paul's School for Girls) and Tassa recorded eight rebounds each.
Randolph was led by Brianna Lowry (Herndon, Va./Herndon) with 14 points.
Virginia Wesleyan returns to action on Jan. 24, playing at Washington and Lee University at 7 p.m.
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