Box Score For immediate release – 2/20/2016 - #202
Senior Day Spoiled by Late Three
LYNCHBURG, VA – The Randolph College women's basketball team honored Abigail Bullins during Senior Day festivities before Saturday's game against Shenandoah University. However, the Hornets hit a three with four seconds remaining to win the contest 74-73.
The WildCats came out of the gates very quickly. Rebecca Harvey scored twice in the first 1:40. Following a 6-0 visitor run, the two teams traded points, which saw the WildCats take a 16-14 lead. Daijah Johnson had a traditional three-point play, while Bullins scored five points.
Bullins followed it with another three to put the lead at five. SU scored, but Korin Harris and Jacqueline Hockman finished the period with back to back layups, giving Randolph the 23-17 advantage.
The second once again saw the teams exchanging points. However, the WildCats still held a seven-point lead with 6:29 left. Harvey, Samuels, and Bullins then all scored in a 6-2 Randolph burst. Shenandoah followed that run, with one of their own. Shannon Kuhn and Morgan Kuhns each hit a shot from behind the arc to cut the disadvantage to four. But the WildCat senior responded on her day, as Bullins put the score at 42-35 at the half, after hitting a three of her own.
The start of the second half saw points more difficult to come by, as the teams went almost two minutes without scoring. SU was first to score, and tallied two straight baskets to cut the deficit to three. Harvey came back and sunk two from the line. The Hornets then responded with an 11-2 run, taking the lead 50-46, with Hockman being the lone WildCat to score.
However, the 'Cats would not go away as Hockman nailed a jumper with 3:11 remaining. Brie Holdren then knocked down a big three off of a pass from Hockman. Kanesha Foster made a layup to take the lead back, but it was followed by a Harris and-one, scoring all three. Bullins added two from the stripe shortly after. Kirstyn Arcata hit a late jumper in the period, but Harris had a great drop off to Taylor Samuels who finished at the buzzer, giving Randolph the 58-54 lead at the end of the three.
The visitors started the final period off with a 7-2 burst, taking a 61-60 lead, less than a minute in. Samuels made a layup off of a quick fast break to put the WildCats back up. Harvey followed that with two more from the line, and the teams once again began to trade points. The 'Cats would go up three by way of a shot, and the Hornets would respond.
The pattern continued until 2:03 left. Following a Hockman bucket, the WildCats took a charge, and Harvey made a layup to put Randolph up five. Erin French made two straight baskets to bring Shenandoah back within one.
After a Randolph free throw, the Hornets called a timeout, and advanced the ball. The WildCats played great defense but Arcata got off a three with the clock winding down and it went in. Randolph advanced the ball as well, but the shot at the buzzer was off target.
Bullins finished her last home game with a team-high 18 points. Harvey added 16, while Hockman just missed a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds. The defense was stout, forcing Shenandoah (7-18 overall, 4-12 ODAC) into 21 turnovers. French recorded a double-double with 20 points and 16 rebounds, while Kuhn tallied a game-high 22 points.
Randolph (4-21, 2-14) will head on the road Monday night in the first round of ODAC Tournament. The WildCats are the 11th-seed and will take on sixth-seeded Bridgewater College (13-11, 9-7) at 7 p.m.
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