For Immediate Release – 1/25/17 - #164
Calloway and Second Half-Play Lead WildCats to Victory

LYNCHBURG, VA – Alexis Calloway posted a double-double and the Randolph College women's basketball team outscored Washington and Lee University by 12 points in the second half, leading the WildCats to victory.  The 'Cats won the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) clash on Wednesday 66-56.

The first quarter seemed to be a battle between Randolph and W&L guard Emily Perszyk.  When the WildCats scored, Perszyk seemed to answer.  Daijah Johnson hit the first free throw, before Perszyk tallied for the first time.  Then, Maura McMahon, in her first start, answered with a three.  However, there was Perszyk, but Calloway retook the lead at 6-4.  Perszyk tied it again and the sides would keep on trading.  Kalyn Banks and Calloway scored, while Perszyk single-handedly gave the Generals an 11-10 lead.

After a bucket by her teammate, Perszyk extended the lead to four on two occasions.  However, Calloway scored twice down low and Johnson hit a three, making the deficit only one entering the second.

Calloway kept the momentum going in the second, scoring off a pass from Jacqueline Hockman.  Kiana Scott followed it with a fast break jumper, while Taylor Samuels made the score 25-20 with 6:55 on the clock.  However, Washington and Lee went on an 11-2 run, with Perszyk adding another make from behind the arc.  But Johnson hit a late shot again, keeping the deficit at two entering the half.

W&L's Taylor Casey started the third with six of seven (Banks hit a free throw), before Perszyk put the lead at nine with a pair from the line.  However, it was all WildCats the rest of the way.  Danielle Rizzari scored, before Samuels tallied the next four.  Korin Harris brought the margin to only one, before Casey stopped the burst.  The teams exchanged the next few buckets, but Harris, Rizzari, and Scott combined for the last six, giving Randolph a 46-43 lead at the end of three.

After Samuels scored the initial basket of the fourth, the Generals converted a traditional three-point play, bringing the margin to two.  Scott hit a jumper soon after, and it began a 10-1 run.  Calloway had the next four, while Harris and Rizzari finished it off. 

Washington and Lee fought back, bringing the game to within seven, but the game got no closer.  Johnson hit five free throws down the stretch, with Rizzari adding another.  Calloway had a big put-back off her own offensive rebound to help seal the 66-56 win.

Calloway finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds off the bench.  Johnson added 11 and seven (all defensive), while Rizzari scored nine.  The two biggest stat lines comes from shooting percentages and turnovers/points off turnovers.  The WildCats shot 42.6%, with W&L shooting only 33%.  The 'Cats scored 19 points off of 20 visitor turnovers, and allowed only five off of a season-low nine turnovers.

Perszyk finished with 23 in the game, but only scored four in the second half for Washington and Lee (8-9 overall, 4-5 ODAC).

Randolph (9-9, 4-5) will head back on the road this Saturday for another ODAC tilt.  The WildCats travel to Randolph-Macon College (9-8, 4-5) for a 2 p.m. tip-off.

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