Randolph-Macon Wins Third Straight Women’s Title
Jackets’ Balanced Attack Spurs Victory over Virginia Wesleyan
February 25, 2007
Box Score 

SALEM,Va. --- Randolph-Macon College became just the second school in Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) women’s basketball history to win three straight conference titles on Sunday afternoon.  The Yellow Jackets defeated Virginia Wesleyan College 76-65, marking the first RMC victory in its three meetings with the Marlins in league tournament championship games.

RMC guard Salem Shaffer was named tournament Most Valuable Player after scoring 52 points over the three games.  Against Virginia Wesleyan, she dropped in 15 points to go with five rebounds and just as many steals.  She was joined on the all-tournament team by sophomores Lindsay Riesbeck and Amanda Hiltunen.  Riesbeck chipped in 10 points and three assists in the final game, while Hiltunen put up eight points, three helpers and three steals.  Senior Kristen Morgan led the Jackets with 16 points and five boards, and freshman Molly Ariail added 14 markers.

We knew coming in that this year would be a different year,” explained Shaffer.  “But we still had the exact same expectations… to get to this tournament and to win this tournament.”

By different, Shaffer was alluding to the absence of three-time ODAC and 2006 NCAA Player of the Year, Megan Silva.  Silva, who had her jersey retired by RMC earlier this season, left a hole in the Yellow Jacket offense that some thought would be unlikely to be replaced so quickly.  But Randolph-Macon head coach Carroll LaHaye never wavered as she knew she had the players on her roster to get the job done.

“I am very, very proud of this team.  I think a lot of people had counted us out.  I give a lot of credit to Salem and Kristen for their leadership.

Virginia Wesleyan was led by one of their two all-tournament team selections in Nicole Thurston.  She posted a game-high 23 points while pulling down seven boards and blocking two shots.  Freshman Tania Jones added nine points and nine boards, and senior Michelle Dove chipped in eight points to go with six assists.  Senior Heather Phillips, VWC’s other all-tournament team choice, scored six points.

“They are a very, very good basketball team,” explained Virginia Wesleyan head coach Stephany Dunmyer.  “You have to give them credit.  They have been there before.”

The game started out fairly workmanlike with the Yellow Jackets going up 6-2 following a pair of Riesbeck free tosses at the 17:24 mark.  Ariail’s first two points at the 12:28 mark gave RMC its first sizeable lead of the game at 13-4.

The Jackets’ advantage teetered between five and ten points for the next few minutes, but two more Riesbeck free tosses at the 4:06 mark started Randolph-Macon on a 10-0 run that opened up its lead to 15 points.  Hiltunen tallied the final points of the half with a pair from the line just before the first half buzzer, making the score 39-23 at the break.

Virginia Wesleyan’s shooting touch didn’t follow them out of the locker room as the Marlins missed their first six shots.  Chelsey Barrett ended the drought, but her bucket only cut the RMC lead down to 19 at 46-27.

Again, the Yellow Jackets lead hovered over several minutes, albeit this time by close to 20 points.  Virginia Wesleyan broke the monotony with a lay-up by Thurston at the 12:28 mark that started the Marlins on a quick 9-0 run that pulled them to within 58-48 with 11:09 on the clock.

Randolph-Macon regained its balance and maintained its double-digit edge for the next several minutes, but a steal of an inbounds pass by Tania Jones gave the Marlins an extra lay-up to pull within eight at 64-56 with 6:12 to play.

Thurston and Andrea Ushinski both knocked in a pair to bring VWC within four, but Ariail converted two of Randolph-Macon’s 31 made free throws (31-of-33 for 93.9%) to push it back out to six with 4:51 to play, which spurred the Jackets on a 12-5 run to close the game.

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