LEXINGTON, Va. – Senior Sarah Parsons (Glen Allen, Va./J.R. Tucker) hit a game-winning jumper with three seconds remaining to lift the Randolph-Macon women's basketball team over Washington and Lee 73-71 Tuesday evening in ODAC play.
Parsons led all scorers with 29 points. She hit nine field goals, sank a pair of treys and went 9 for 9 from the free throw line.
The Yellow Jackets (18-3, 11-2 ODAC) trailed 59-54 with 6:30 remaining. Junior Khajae Hester (Virginia Beach, Va./Cape Henry Collegiate) made a layup with 6:15 left to cut the deficit to three. Parsons had a bucket and a pair of free throws to put R-MC up 60-59 with 4:21 left. The teams stayed within two points of each other the rest of the way. Junior Katie Anderson (Beaverdam, Va./Patrick Henry) converted a three-point play with 3:18 to go to give the Yellow Jackets a 65-63 advantage. W&L hit baskets on its next two possessions to take a 67-65 lead. Parsons buried a three-pointer with two minutes left to give R-MC a 68-67 edge. Following a bucket by the Generals (14-7, 7-6 ODAC), Anderson recorded another three-point play with 1:11 remaining for a 71-69 lead. W&L used a steal and a layup with 32 seconds to knot the score at 71-71. Following a timeout, R-MC worked the clock down and Parsons scored with three seconds left to put the Yellow Jackets on top 73-71. Hester's steal at the end cemented the victory.
There were seven ties and 19 lead changes during the second half.
The Yellow Jackets made three layups in the first two minutes to take a quick 6-0 lead. Anderson finished a layup and hit two free throws as the advantage grew to nine at 13-4 five minutes into the contest. The Generals used a 9-3 spurt to cut the deficit to three at 16-13 with 9:30 left in the half. Parsons made two foul shots to cap a 12-7 run as R-MC pushed its advantage back to eight at 28-20 with 5:45 to go in the period. The visitors led 36-32 with one minute remaining before W&L scored the final five points of the half to take its first lead at 37-36. Parsons posted 15 points in 18 minutes in the first stanza.
Anderson finished with 18 points and nine rebounds. Sophomore Stephanie Staples (Mechanicsville, Va./Atlee) had 10 points off the bench with four rebounds and a career-best four steals.
Paige Corvino paced W&L with 12 points.
Randolph-Macon remains on the road, traveling to Emory & Henry for a 1 p.m. ODAC contest on Saturday, Feb. 14.