Greensboro, NC (2/18/99) -- Freshman Erin Beacham's (Atlanta, GA/Lovett School) career-high 22 points and two free throws with 2:41 left helped Guilford's women's basketball team upset Roanoke College Thursday night, 83-80, and end the Maroons' 14-game winning streak against the Quakers. The Maroons (19-5, 17-3 ODAC) entered the game ranked sixth in this week's NCAA Division III South region poll and in second place in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) standings.
Guilford (11-12, 10-9 ODAC) last defeated the Maroons on February 5, 1993. Guilford head coach Barb Bausch came into the contest with an 0-14 record against Roanoke.
"This was the least likely of my teams to pull off the victory based on pure talent," the sixth-year coach said. "I believe our mental game beat them. We were able to stop sliding and fought back, which is something we've been working on all season."
Guilford (11-12, 10-9 ODAC) saw an 11-point halftime lead disappear as Roanoke rallied and seized a 72-65 advantage with 7:26 left in the game. Beacham's career-high third three-pointer of the night capped a 7-0 Guilford run and tied the game at 72-72 with 6:05 left. The teams traded baskets until the 2:41 mark when Beacham converted two free throws to give the hosts a 79-78 advantage, the fifth lead change of the game and fourth of the second half.
Guilford went ahead, 81-78, with 1:45 left on a basket by rookie Deidre Riffe (Kernersville, NC/Glenn), but Roanoke answered with a Jill Quesenberry (Indian Valley, VA/Floyd County) layup 23 seconds later to pull within 81-80.
Guilford failed to score on its next possession and following a Roanoke time-out, junior guard Toree Morris (Salem, VA/Salem) missed a three-point shot with five seconds left. Guilford senior Alison Schott (Lyons, NY/Lyons), playing her final home game, corralled the rebound, was fouled and converted two free throws with one second remaining to seal the win.
Sophomore forward Arden Miller (Landenberg, PA/Sanford School (DE)) matched Beacham's game-high 22 points for the Quakers, thanks in part to four-of-six three-point shooting. Sophomore guard Kerrie Campbell (Greensboro, NC/Grimsley) added 14 points and a game-high nine rebounds off the bench, while Schott finished with 13 points.
Morris led five Roanoke players in double figures with 18 points on six-of-12 shooting from behind the arc. Junior centers Sarah Dingledine (Standardsville, VA/William Monroe) and Megan Harrigan (Fairport, NY/Fairport) each added 13 points, with 18 of their combined 26 points coming in the second half to lead the Maroons rally.
Guilford closes out the regular season Saturday afternoon (2/20) at Randolph-Macon Woman's College while Roanoke enters next week's ODAC Tournament with the second seed and will play Thursday (2/25) against the number-two seed at 6:00 in the Salem Civic Center. The Maroons are the two-time defending tournament champions.
