Eastern Mennonite took over midway through the first half and picked up a 77-53 win over Roanoke Saturday afternoon in Harrisonburg. The women improve to 4-3 with the victory, including 2-1 in ODAC play.
The under-sized Maroons came out in a zone defense and frustrated EMU early on, leading 14-12 at the 10-minute mark. But a Steph Rheinheimer (Manheim, PA/Lancaster Mennonite) three pointer gave the women the lead and turned the momentum. A quick 8-0 run turned into a lead the Royals would never relinquish, as they closed the half on a 25-11 run.
The streak continued in the second half, with a Keyla Baltimore (Bristow, VA/Brentsville District) layup at 8:02 creating the largest lead of the game at 67-39. The bench players finished on the floor, as the women coasted to an impressive 24-point ODAC win.
Roanoke limited EMU’s inside game with the zone, but the outside players picked up the slack. The Royals, who shot 48% from the floor including 7-for-16 from long range, had three players finish in double figures. Alisa Brown (Dumfries, VA/Forest Park) put in 13 points in the first half and finished with 15 and three steals. Jess Rheinheimer (Manheim, PA/Lancaster Mennonite) shot 6-of-8 from the floor and added 15 points, five rebounds and three assists.
Steph Rheinheimer was good for 13 points with five boards and a two blocked shots. Freshman Alicia Ygarza (Conestoga, PA/Penn Manor) also had three steals, while Baltimore dished out a team high four assists.
Eastern Mennonite had a dominating 48-24 edge in rebounding, including 17 offensive boards. Raiven Patterson (Pulaski, VA/Pulaski County) led the strong team effort with six rebounds. She added six points, three assists and two steals.
The Royals have a week off for exams before their next game on Dec. 15, playing at Delaware Valley at 3:00pm.