VIRGINIA BEACH -- A five minute scoring spurt to start the second half put Virginia Wesleyan College's women's basketball team in control and on path to a 59-37 victory over Hollins University at the Jane P. Batten Student Center Monday.

The victory in the first round game of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) championship tournament sends Virginia Wesleyan (17-9), the fifth seeded team in the tourney, into the quarterfinal round at the Civic Center in Salem on Thursday, Feb. 27 at 3 p.m.  The Marlins will face the fourth seeded Guilford College Quakers (19-6).

VWC, which will be making its 10th quarterfinal appearance in the last 11 seasons, earned the berth with a solid effort against a Hollins (7-19) team that gave the Marlins fits in their first two meetings of the season.  VWC won the first meeting in overtime at Hollins and slipped by HU 62-59 just nine days ago at the Batten Center.

Both teams got off to a shakey start offensively Monday, combining for only 15 points in the first 10 minutes of the contest. The scoring pace picked a little after that in a tight battle, before rookie Crystal Strother (Accokeek, Md./Brandywine Gwynn Park)drilled a long-range triple to help VWC open up a 21-16 lead with 3:27 remaining in the first half. Jump shots by Kerri Taylor (Stockport, England/The Hill School, Pa.) and Katie Tassa (Bristow/Mansassas Osbourn Park) kept the Marlins in front 27-22 at halftime.

Junior Nancy Kelly (Phoenix, Md./Dulaney) ignited the Marlins' run at the start of the second half, scoring twice inside.  Brittany Glasco (Fredericksburg/Massaponax) added a jumper and Taylor and Tassa followed with back-to-back triple, helping VWC's lead balloon to 39-24. 

The lead expanded to 43-26 before Chanci Wright (Eden, Texas/Eden) hit consecutive baskets for Hollins to cut in the spread.  VWC came right back however, adding to the lead with a Glasco triple and a score by rookie Alexis Platt (Virginia Beach/Princess Anne) inside. It was part of a 16-4 run by the Marlins to open up their largest lead of the game at 59-34.

Glasco led all scoring with 18 points, followed by Kelly with 13.  Tassa led the Marlins on the boards with eight rebounds, while Platt pulled down seven.

Wright led Hollins with 13 points.  Jewell Parfitt (Roanoke/Patrick Henry) added 10 points. Taylor Catron (Tazewell/Tazewell) pulled down nine rebounds.

--AMDG--