BEACHAM LIFTS GUILFORD PAST RANDOLPH-MACON IN ODAC WOMEN’S BASKETBALL SEMIFINALS, 69-60

Salem, Va. (02/22/02) – Senior guard Erin Beacham (Atlanta, GA/Lovett School) scored a career-high 36 points to lead top-seeded Guilford past number-five Randolph-Macon, 69-60, in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Women’s Basketball Tournament semifinals Friday afternoon in the Salem Civic Center.

The win sends Guilford, the defending tourney champ, back to the ODAC Tournament final and marks its school-record 23^rd win of the season. Randolph-Macon, which knocked off fourth-seeded Roanoke in Thursday’s quarterfinal game, ends its season with a 13-14 overall record.

The Yellow Jackets overcame an eight-point deficit with a 14-2 run and took a 49-45 lead on a Sarah Crider (Ephrata, PA/Ephrata) free throw with 10:15 left in the game. Crider scored 11 of her team-high 14 points in the second half, including seven during Randolph-Macon’s run, before fouling out with 9:29 remaining.

ODAC Rookie of the Year Courtney Hill (Kannapolis, NC/North Rowan) sparked a 12-2 Quakers’ spurt with a three-point play with 9:59 to play. She followed with two free throws that broke the game’s final tie and gave Guilford the lead for good (50-49) with 8:45 remaining. Randolph-Macon drew no closer than 57-52 with 4:04 left as the Quakers made 11 of 16 free throws in the final six minutes.

Beacham, who had 18 points in both halves, made nine of 21 shots from the floor and matched her career high with three three-pointers. She shot 15-of-19 from the foul line and tied the Quakers’ record for free throws in a game. Her 36 points mark the eighth-highest single-game scoring performance in Guilford history.

Hill netted 12 of her 14 points in the second half and finished with eight rebounds for Guilford. Sophomore forward Jackie Hardenbergh (Oak Hill, VA/Paul VI) added 11 points and nine boards to share game-high rebounding honors with Beacham. The Quakers made 30 of 42 free throws, both season highs, compared to the Yellow Jackets’ 12 free throws in 18 attempts.

Junior Allison King (Cary, NC/Cary) matched Crider’s 14 points and led the Yellow Jackets with seven rebounds. King scored nine points in the second half, which helped Randolph-Macon erase a 28-24 halftime deficit. Junior guard Lindsay Carroll (Salem, VA/Salem) added 12 markers and a game-high five assists before her hometown crowd.

Guilford advances to Saturday’s ODAC final at 2:00 p.m. in the Salem Civic Center to meet the winner of the E&H/BC game. Saturday’s winner receives the ODAC’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament.

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