Marlins Finish Strong in 66-62 Victory over R-MC

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. -- The Virginia Wesleyan College women's basketball team made five free throws in the last three minutes of Wednesday's game to close out Randolph-Macon College 66-62 for the Marlins' first Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) victory of the season.

The Marlins led by just one point at halftime, 32-31, but extended that game to six points with 6:43 to go in the third quarter. Randolph-Macon responded for an 8-2 run to knot the contest at 41. Neither team managed more than a two-point edge until Kelly Jones' layup with 40 seconds left put Virginia Wesleyan ahead 50-47.

Raya Berkley scored four straight points to start the fourth quarter, putting the Marlins up seven points. A layup and made free throw by Jayla Harris sandwiched a lone Yellow Jacket point for a 57-48 Virginia Wesleyan lead with 7:53 to play.

Randolph-Macon struggled to cut the gap despite having statistically one of the best three-point shooting teams in the ODAC. Virginia Wesleyan possesses one of the best perimeter defenses in the league and managed to hold the Yellow Jackets to 3-of-12 shooting from distance for the game, a big reason the Marlins pulled off the victory. ODAC leading scorer Hannah Livermon was held to 10 points on just 2-of-7 shooting from three-point land.

Livermon managed one of her threes late in the fourth quarter after Katie Anderson contributed a pair of free throws to cut the gap to three, 62-59, with 1:42 to play.

Naeemah Morris connected on a pair from the charity stripe to push the lead back to two possessions, much need for the Marlins.

Following back-to-back turnovers, Randolph-Macon had the ball down low. Khajae Hester kicked it out to Taylor Intermill for a three from the corner to make the score 64-62 VWC.

The Yellow Jackets missed on two chances the next time up the floor, allowing Morris to battle for a defensive rebound. She dished the ball out to Harris, who was fouled and knocked down a pair from the foul line to ice the victory.

Anderson had a career day for Randolph-Macon (6-5/2-1), finishing with 23 points and 20 rebounds.

Harris led the Marlins with 16 points while Jones tallied 14 points and four steals. Morris finished with 11 points and five rebounds asCrystal Strother added nine points, nine rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks. Alexis Platt led the Marlins with 14 rebounds.

Virginia Wesleyan (3-9/1-3) travels to Hollins University (3-7/0-3) Saturday for a 2 p.m. ODAC start.