LYNCHBURG, Va. - The Randolph College women's basketball team secured a commanding 66-49 victory over Virginia Wesleyan in ODAC action on Saturday afternoon at Giles Gymnasium. With the win, the WildCats move to 9-9 overall and 4-5 in the ODAC, while the Marlins fall to 5-11 and 1-8 in conference play.

"Nice way to finish off the week with our second win," said head coach Steve Lanpher. "I thought we did a nice job defending and limiting them on their drives. We wanted to keep them in front and have them take contested shots and for the most part, we did that."

The WildCats took control early, outscoring the Marlins 14-9 in the first quarter with multiple WildCat scorers. Randolph extended their lead in the second quarter with a 17-7 run, entering halftime with a 31-16 advantage.

"Offensively we played unselfishly and our ball movement was good," said Lanpher. "We have to continue to improve our defense and limit second-chance shot opportunities."

Consistent play in the third quarter saw the WildCats build their lead further, scoring another 17 points to Virginia Wesleyan's nine. The quarter also saw the WildCats' biggest lead of 27 points, the score at 48-21 with under three minutes remaining. Despite a 24-point surge from the Marlins in the final quarter, Randolph's balanced offense and defensive effort proved too much for the Marlins.

"Our point guard trio of Taniya, Ravyn, and Imani did a nice job wearing down their point guard and providing 12 points," said Lanpher. "Teniyah had a nice game with 11 & seven rebounds and Kylie had 18, five rebounds, and three steals."

Kylie Stark led with 18 points, shooting 4-7 from the three-point line. Stark was followed by Teniyah Crenshaw-Patterson with 11 points and seven rebounds. Simone Brown grabbed seven boards and added six points. Renee Clines chipped in eight points, four rebounds, and three assists. The WildCats' bench provided a spark, contributing 21 points. Ravyn Gill led the reserves with seven points on 3-of-5 shooting, while Imani Hardin added five points.

Randolph's defense was stellar, forcing 23 turnovers, which led to 28 points for the WildCats. The team also dominated the glass with a 37-32 rebounding edge. 

The 'Cats return to the court on Wednesday when the team travels to Hollins for a 7 p.m. ODAC game.