WINCHESTER, Va. – Sophomore Kelly Williams (Garysburg, N.C./Halifax Academy) tied a program record for number of points scored in one game as she scored 38 in a 73-66 loss to Shenandoah in Winchester Tuesday night.
The 38 points matches the 38 points scored by Renee Zando in an 84-68 win against Bridgewater on February 12, 1998 in Crenshaw Gymnasium – which is believed to be the program high.
Freshman Becca Arrington (Amelia, Va./Amelia Academy) scored the first five of Randolph-Macon's first six points with a three-pointer and a pair of free throws over the first two and a half minutes of play. Junior Kelsey Wisner (York, Pa./Central York) hit the other free throw, getting R-MC off to the 6-5 start. The two teams traded the lead and experienced three ties over the remainder of the first quarter. Sophomore Charlotte Woods (Richmond, Va./Trinity) hit a jumper with a minute to go and Williams hit a field goal in the final seconds to put R-MC up 17-13 going into the second frame. Williams led the team with five points while Wisner pulled in six rebounds.
Williams hit a layup and added a free throw and Arrington added another three-pointer early in the second quarter, pushing R-MC's lead to 23-16. Williams extended the 9-4 run with a pair of free throws leading up to the 6:46 mark of the period. Shenandoah took their run through the middle of the period, going on a 10-4 run to the 4:00 mark, cutting the R-MC lead to 29-25. Randolph-Macon would extend it before the half, getting back to the six point advantage 37-31 at the break. Williams had her best quarter of the night with 13 points and five rebounds and made all seven of her free throw opportunities.
Shenandoah took off running in the third quarter. The Hornets scored three baskets in the first minute to tie the game at 37. Williams made a run of her own with a trio of baskets over the next three minutes of play and giving the Yellow Jackets the lead again, 43-37. R-MC held a slim lead for much of the quarter until 2:19 when a pair of free throws got the score within two, 50-48. Hornet Kirstyn Arcata made a three-pointer with under two minutes to play to give Shenandoah its first lead of the second half. R-MC regained the lead as junior Jayla Wade (Newport News, Va./Heritage) hit a jumper in the waning minutes and the Yellow Jackets took the 52-51 advantage into the final period.
After Williams made the opening shot in the 4th, Shenandoah got a pair of free throws and a layup to take the lead back 55-54. A three-pointer by the Hornets pushed Shenandoah out further to a lead that R-MC would never be able to return from. Williams, Woods and senior Teal Reynolds (Sterling, Va./Potomac Falls) made shots through the middle of the period, but the Yellow Jackets were never able to get closer than two as the Hornets won 73-66.
In addition to her 38 points, Williams finished with 18 rebounds, four steals and a pair of blocks. Woods also had a great game on the boards with 14 rebounds in addition to her six points. Arrington finished with ten points and three rebounds and went 2-2 from beyond the arc and made both of her free throw opportunities. Along with her six rebounds, Wisner finished with a pair of assists, two points and a steal. Reynolds had four points and a steal. Coming off the bench, Wade finished with five points and three rebounds along with a block. Junior Leara Shumate (Fishersville, Va./Wilson Memorial) added a free throw and a pair of rebounds.
Randolph-Macon returns to the court on Saturday against the preseason favorite in the ODAC, the Eastern Mennonite Royals. The game tips-off in Harrisonburg at 4:30.