DANVILLE, Va. -- Women's basketball matched its longest winning streak in program history today in a thriller over Averett, 69-67.

Randolph has a five-game winning streak for the second time in as many years, as the WildCats match the 2013-14 and 1996-97 squads with five game streaks.

This also marks the WildCats' first-ever 8-1 start and the best record for the program over a span of any nine games in program history.

The WildCats had to work hard to reach those milestones in a road tilt today at the Grant Center, as the hosts, Averett, fought until a final runner from the right wing went awry.

In a first half of runs, Randolph used spurts of 6-0, 7-0 and 8-0 to take a 42-31 edge into halftime.

Senior Jensen Hoover scored Randolph's first six points of the second half to make the lead a dozen with 16:52 to go, but that lead quickly dissipated.

Averett scored the next eight points, then used a 6-0 run after an exchange of baskets to level the game at 52-52.

Hoover hit another layup to put Randolph back up, but a 9-0 run put the Cougars in fantastic position with 8:20 to go.

That was the last time Averett would hit from the floor over the next 7:17, however, as the WildCats chipped away.

Four Hoover points and a free throw by senior Chelsea Tyler set the WildCats up with the ball trailing by two.

Junior Abigail Bullins, who ranks seventh in the nation in three point shooting, kept true to her reputation, hitting the go-ahead triple from the wing in front of her bench, bringing Randolph all the way back.

After a tying free throw, Tyler got to the basket and gave Randolph a two point edge with 1:54 left.

Two more Cougar free throws tied the score once again, but a pair from Bullins at the charity strip put Randolph up again.

On the next Cougar trip down the court, the hosts finally got their elusive field goal at a crucial time, equalizing once again.

After a stop, Averett got a free throw to fall, taking a 67-66 lead with half a minute to play.

Out of a timeout, Bullins drew a foul as she drove down the right side and was true with both free throws with 6.5 seconds left.

After another timeout, Averett inbounded the ball looking to go the length of the court for the win, but Tyler intercepted the floating pass over her head and was sent to the line.

With one of two falling for the senior, Randolph needed to lock down on defense again.

Averett managed to get the ball down the court but a heavily contested runner at the buzzer couldn't find the bottom of the net, sealing the win.

Bullins increased her ODAC-leading scoring mark, as she contributed 21 points in the win.

Hoover had 14, with a dozen in the second half alone. Sophomore Korin Harris had 10 on 5-of-8 shooting.

One of the keys to the game was certainly shooting from deep, as the WildCats made half of their 14 attempts from three, while Averett was only 3-for-18 (16.7%)

Randolph has a chance to break the program's record for wins in a row on Monday with a early home contest against Frostburg St. That game is slated to tip at 1 p.m., at the RAD Center.