VIRGINIA BEACH -- Very few leads are actually very safe leads.

Randolph-Macon College's women's basketball team will attest to that after watching a 23-point second half lead dwindle away to just eight points with 6:22 still remaining to be played in Tuesday's  game at Virginia Wesleyan College.

Junior Kelly Jones (Ellicott City, Md./Mt. Hebron) nailed her third triple of the second half to pull the host Marlins within a 60-52 score. Her shot evoked a roar from the crowd at the Jane P. Batten Student Center and prompted R-MC head coach Carroll LaHaye to a call a timeout.

It was enough of a break to help the Yellow Jackets regroup and slip away from the Marlins in the final minutes to post a 77-63 Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) victory.

Kareema Conteh (Riverdale, Md./Parkdale) hit only one basket in the game for the Jackets (16-3, 9-2), but it was an important one as it put R-MC back into a double-digit lead and stopped Virginia Wesleyan's momentum.  Virginia Wesleyan was able to pull within nine points several times in the final minutes, but the Jackets hit timely baskets to keep the Marlins at bay.

Randolph-Macon led 34-19 at halftime following a cold shooting first half by the Marlins, who connected on just 28.6% of their field goal attempts.  Early second-half scoring by Hannah Livermon (Powhatan, Va./Powhatan) and Katie Anderson (Beaverdam, Va./Patrick Henry) helped push R-MC out to a 47-24 lead with 14:09 on the clock, but the Jackets couldn't make it stick.

Virginia Wesleyan's pressure defense started to produce results in the ensuing minutes as the Marlins derailed R-MC's offense by forcing eight turnovers.  While the Jackets struggled to score, senior Brittany Glasco (Fredericksburg/Massaponax), junior Cassie Conley (New Market/Stonewall Jackson), and senior Symonne Newsome (Reistertown, Md./St. Paul's School for Girls) hit consecutive shots to spark an impressive VWC rally.  The Marlns hit 10-of-13 field goal attempts to help pull back into contention, led by Jones with 12 points.

Jones scored seven points in 48 seconds to pull the Marlins within the 60-52 score before R-MC called for time to regroup.  Sarah Parsons (Glen Allen/J.R. Tucker) scored seven points for the Jackets, all from the free throw lne, to help Randolph-Macon repad its lead in the final six minutes.

Jones emerged as the game's leading scorer, netting 22 points, including 16 in the second half. Glasco and Newsome added 10 points each and Kerri Taylor (Stockport, England/Pottstown, Pa. The Hill School) led VWC rebounding with 10 caroms.  Glasco also produced a game-high six assists.

Anderson led R-MC with 20 points and 10 rebounds, Marisha Berry (Powhatan, Va./Powhatan) added 14 points, and Parsons and Livermon finished with 12 points each.

Virginia Wesleyan returns to competition on Saturday, Feb. 7, hosting the Wasps of Emory & Henry College at 2 p.m.

--AMDG--