WEBB LIFTS ROANOKE INTO ODAC WOMEN’S HOOPS FINAL
Salem, VA (02/25/00) – Junior forward Suzanne Webb (Narrows, VA/Narrows) scored a career-high 25 points as Roanoke reached its 16th Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Women’s Basketball Tournament final with a 78-60 win over Guilford Friday afternoon in the Salem Civic Center.
The Maroons (20-6) play for their league-record 13th ODAC title against fourth-seeded Emory & Henry, a 64-57 upset victor over defending league champ and top seed Bridgewater in the day’s first semifinal.
The Maroons’ up-tempo attack wore down the Quakers (19-7), who feature an eight-player roster and played their second game in less than 19 hours. Roanoke built its 19-point halftime lead to as many as 25 and let Guilford no closer than 15 points in the second half. The large second-half advantage let Roanoke Coach Susan Dunagan play deep into her bench in preparation for Saturday’s final.
After falling behind 12-6, Roanoke reeled off nine unanswered points during a 21-2 run midway through the first half to take a 27-14 lead. Guilford climbed back to within nine points, but Roanoke outscored the Quakers 14-4 over the final 5:03 of the period. Roanoke made 58.1 percent of its first-half shots and forced nine first-half Guilford turnovers, leading to 12 points. Webb led all scorers with 16 first-half points.
Webb made eight of 11 shots from the floor and was the only Roanoke player in double-figure points. Sophomore forward Crystal Barrett (Roanoke, VA/Northside), a second-team All-ODAC pick, scored nine points, grabbed a team-high nine rebounds and made three blocks. The Maroons shot 53.4 percent from the floor and owned a 39-33 rebounding edge.
ODAC Player of the Year Arden Miller (Landenberg, PA/Sanford School (DE)) paced the Quakers with 20 points and a game-high 12 rebounds for her 17th double-double. Guilford sophomore Megan Barlow (Chevy Chase, MD/Whitman), a second-team all-league selection, scored 15 of her 19 points in the second half and added seven boards and three steals.
The win improves Roanoke’s all-time record in ODAC Tournament play to 46-5. The Maroons have reached the ODAC final in 10 of the last 11 seasons, winning the crown eight times. Roanoke extended its lead in the season series with Guilford to 19-3, including a 3-0 mark in ODAC Tournament matchups.
Guilford falls to 1-6 in seven ODAC semifinal appearances. The Quakers finish the season with their second-highest win total in school history.
