SALEM, Va. - The Randolph College women's basketball team faced off in a thrilling weekend match against the Maroons of Roanoke. The WildCats battled through the game, but ultimately, fell 51-58 to the Maroons.

"Tough ending to a highly competitive conference game," said head coach Steve Lanpher. "I thought we controlled the second and third quarters but costly turnovers and defensive breakdowns hurt us in the fourth quarter. We also had seven traveling violations and that is just way too many opportunities lost."

The opening quarter got off to a great start for both teams. The Maroons opened with a jumper to take the lead early, but a jumper on the other end from Taniya Jackson put the 'Cats on the board. Then, Randolph's offense went on a 11-6 run to lead 13-8 with 3:44 remaining. The Maroons evened the score 13-all with a pair of free throws and jumper with just over a minute remaining to end the quarter all tied up.

The second quarter was an offensive battle. A fastbreak layup from Roanoke gave them a 15-13 lead. Maddie Pabon quickly responded with a three-pointer to put Randolph back in front, 16-15. Roanoke's Peyton Kirchner and Paige Breuer combined for five straight points to extend the lead to 21-16. Roanoke continued to capitalize as they hit a three-pointer to extend their lead 24-18. However, the WildCats clawed back with clutch shooting from behind the arc. Kylie Stark and Renee Clines hit three-pointers back-to-back and tip-in by Teniyah Crenshaw-Patterson to tie the game 26-all with 4:09 left in the half. The teams continued to battle, Roanoke hit a three-pointer to reclaim the lead, but Simone Brown's rebounding proved crucial as she converted two offensive boards into key tip-ins, giving the WildCats a 32-31 lead in the final minute. With time winding down, Crenshaw-Patterson sinked a jumper at the buzzer to secure a 34-31 advantage at the end of the quarter.

"I thought offensively we were not attacking the paint and we settled for too many outside jumpers," said Lanpher.

Off a missed three-pointer, Crenshaw-Patterson grabbed the offensive rebound to drain the three-pointer, extending Randolph's lead to 37-31. Both teams went on a small scoring drought for about two minutes before a steal and a layup from Imani Hardin ended it with 6:03 remaining. Another series of missed scoring opportunities for both teams followed, but Crenshaw-Patterson was able to add a point from the line making it 40-31. The teams then began trading points back-and-forth, but the WildCats maintained control with baskets from Lexanna Oge and Crenshaw-Patterson to extend the lead to double digits at 46-36. In the final minutes, the Maroons chipped away at the deficit with converted free throws putting the score, 46-38 to close the quarter.

Roanoke took a five-point early lead after draining a three-pointer. The WildCats struggled to respond with missed shots and the Maroons capitalized. It wasn't until Stark hit a big three-pointer to extend Randolph's lead to six. Roanoke responded with points inside the paint and back-to-back three-pointers to give the Maroons a two-point lead. The Maroons were on a hot streak, drilling two threes to push their lead to eight. In the final moments, Stark scored a layup but the game was sealed after a free throw from the Maroons, allowing a 58-51 victory.

I thought Imani off the bench gave us a great spark today," said Lanpher. "Tee played a really efficient and strong game recording her second straight double-double."

Crenshaw-Patterson led the 'Cats with a double-double, tallying 16 points and 10 rebounds while shooting an efficient 7-of-11 from the floor. Kylie Stark contributed nine points, four rebounds, and two assists, while Renee Clines added eight points with a pair of three-pointers. Simone Brown was a force on the boards, securing a team-high 11 rebounds to go along with six points.

Randolph struggled offensively in the fourth quarter, shooting just 16.7% (2-of-12) from the field. The WildCats were also hurt by turnovers, committing 21 in the game.

With the loss, Randolph falls to 10-10, 5-6 in ODAC play, while Roanoke improves to 10-10 and 6-5 in the conference.

"We'll have to learn from this disappointment and become stronger," said Lanpher. 

The 'Cats return to Giles Gymnasium on Wednesday for a 5 p.m. game against Washington and Lee.