VIRGINIA BEACH -- Playing for the first time in two week failed to crimp Virginia Wesleyan College's game on Tuesday as the women's basketball Marlins rolled to an 86-37 non-conference victory over North Carolina Wesleyan College.

Eleven Marlins played against the visiting Battling Bishops at the Jane P. Batten Student Center and 10 scored, led by sophomores Sarah Seipp (Gaithersburg, Md./Gaithersburg) and Nancy Kelly (Phoenix, Md./Dulaney) with 18 and 16 points, respectively, and junior Symonne Newsome (Reistertown, Md./St. Paul's School for Girls) with 14.

North Carolina Wesleyan (3-6), which entered the game off a 67-59 loss to Lynchburg College on Sunday, had game-long problems with Virginia Wesleyan's aggressive defense, which helped force 29 Bishop turnovers.  NCWC stayed close through the first 10 minutes of the game, before Virginia Wesleyan took over for good.

The Marlins (6-5) used a three-point play from Seipp to spark a 23-4 scoring run that catapulted VWC into a 35-15 lead with 4:31 remaining in the first half.  Seipp was the catalyst in the run as she scored the Marlins' first nine points in the surge and finished with 11 overall.  Sophomore Andrea Paphites (Virginia Beach/Princess Anne) contributed to the break away with seven points, two steals and an assist.

NeTaih Davis (Lynchburg/Heritage), Kourtney Salisbury (Glen Burnie, Md./Old Mill) and Courtney Small (Roanoke Rapids, N.C./Kipp Gaston) came through to carry the Bishops in the final five minutes of the half, but Virginia Wesleyan continued to add to its lead.  The Marlins posted a 49-22 lead at halftime.

Shanice Goree (Walford, Md./Westlake) scored the first basket of the second half to get NCWC on the board first, but the Bishops were unable to get closer than 25 points the remainder of the game. 

Virginia Wesleyan extended its lead to 27-9 in the women's basketball series between the schools, scoring its highest total of points since an 88-64 victory during the 1988-89 season.

Seipp led all scoring with 18 points, hitting a season high 60% from the field (6x10).  She also nailed 5-of-5 free throws.  Kelly tied a career high with 16 points, connecting on  8-of-12 field goal attempts.  She also tied for the team lead in rebounding with junior Katie Tassa (Bristow, Va./Manassas Osbourn Park), both with nine.  Paphites scored nine points, hitting 4-of-6 fielders and recorded season highs with four assists and three blocks.  She also had three steals.  Newsome hit 6-of-9 free throws to lead the Marlins at the charity stripes.

Samantha Urquhart (Franklin, Va./Southampton) and Tiffany Bell (Waldorf, Md./Westlake) scored nine points each to lead North Carolina Wesleyan.  Davis led the Bishops on the boards with seven rebounds.

Virginia Wesleyan returns to competition on Saturday, Jan. 5, in Old Dominion Athletic Conference play at Hollins University at 2 p.m.

--AMDG--