For: Immediate Release
January 6, 2002



Maroons Get Back to Work, Beat Hollins
Williams Scores 19 as Maroons Play for First Time in a Month

ROANOKE, VA--A month to the day after playing its last ball game, the Roanoke College women’s basketball team returned to action on Sunday afternoon, defeating Hollins University, 76-53, on the road. The Maroons improve to 5-3 on the year and 4-0 in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference, while Hollins falls to 4-4, 2-2 in the league. The Maroons, who had last played in a win over Randolph-Macon College on December 6th, run their winning streak to four, all league games.

Roanoke’s long layoff was evident in the first few minutes of Sunday’s contest, as the Maroons hit just two of their first 12 shots from the field and allowed Hollins to get off to a 6-0 lead to start the game. Hollins had a 10-5 lead when the Maroons finally hit their stride. A 10-0 run gave the Maroons a 17-10 lead with 11:22 to go in the first and that lead would only get bigger as the game progressed. Hollins was able to get as close as three points (26-23) late in the first, but Roanoke used another 10-0 run to end the half to grab a 13-point lead at the break. Katrina Williams (Salem, VA/Glenvar) and freshman Kayce Smith (Chattanooga, TN/The Baylor School) each had five points in the second scoring run. 

The Roanoke defense was stifling in each of the halves, forcing 33 Hollins turnovers and recording 19 steals. Williams led the way with six steals for Roanoke. She was one of eight different Maroons to record a steal in the contest. That defense, along with an offense that began to click in the second half, helped the Maroons push their lead to as much as 28 points. After starting off the game 2-for-12 from the field, the Maroons went 28-for-47 (.595) the rest of the way.

Williams led the Maroons with 19 points in the contest, nine from three-point land. Smith finished the game with a career-high 11 points, while center Emily Smith (Hampton, VA/Hampton) also had a personal-best with 10 points. Junior forward Liz Sloop (Raleigh, NC/WG Enloe) had seven points, seven rebounds, three steals, and a career-high six assists in 22 minutes for Roanoke.

Hollins’ Mandy Nichols’ 23 points and 13 rebounds were tops for all players in the contest. Emily Ferrell added 11 points for Hollins, which outrebounded the Maroons, 40-25.

Roanoke returns to action Thursday as they travel to defending conference champion Guilford College. The game in Greensboro, NC is scheduled to begin at 7:00pm.



Box Score