The Virginia Wesleyan women's basketball team (5-15, 1-12 ODAC) suffered a twelve point loss to the Maroons of Roanoke College, losing 68-56.
Keagan Schwab led the Marlins with 18 points, shooting 7-for-18 from the field, 3-for-7 from three-point territory, and 1-for-2 from the free throw line; Schwab had three rebounds, one assist, and one block.
Brianna Long contributed 12 points as she shot 4-for-7 from the field and 5-for-8 from the free throw line; Long tallied 13 rebounds and two steals.
Jaiden Hunter recorded 12 points, going 5-for-8 from the field and 2-for-2 from the free throw line; Hunter earned one rebound and one assist.
The Marlins had a slow start to the game, and the Maroons took advantage with a 15-0 run with 4:12 remaining in the first quarter.
Mekayla Clarke scored the first basket for the Marlins with 3:02 remaining, but Roanoke responded with a layup to bring the score to 17-2. In the final two minutes of first quarter play, the Marlins shot on pace with the Maroons, ending the quarter 25-8.
Maesyn Blaylock was fouled to start the second quarter, and she made one of her free throws. The first field goal of the quarter was made by the Maroons, but
Brianna Long responded with a tipin, got fouled, and made her free throw for the three-point play, narrowing Roanoke's lead to 15. The Maroons gained momentum once again with a 7-2 run to lead the home team by 20 with 3:38 left on the clock. VWU fought back, bringing the deficit down to 14 as
Mekayla Clarke scored on a layup, but the Maroons kept the Marlins from scoring in the final two minutes of the second quarter, leading 41-22 approaching halftime.
Keagan Schwab started the third quarter with a layup, and Roanoke responded with a layup of their own. Between 6:35 and 4:41, the home team outscored the Maroons 6-2 to propel their comeback initiative. After a jumper made from the Maroons, Schwab sunk her first three of the afternoon to bring the Marlins 13 points away from Roanoke. The Maroons gained control at the end of the quarter to lead 52-36.
The Marlins had their strongest performance in the fourth quarter as they outscored the Maroons 18-16, but it was not enough to recover. Highlighting the period was
Keagan Schwab, who made back-to-back three-pointers to lessen the Roanoke lead to ten with 1:30 remaining in play. Unfortunately, the Marlins were unable to stop the Maroons, who ended up winning 68-56.
Next, the Marlins will face the University of Lynchburg in an away contest on Wednesday, February 12, at 7:00 p.m.
