For Immediate Release December 2, 2000
Maroons Beat Thomas More By 20
Barrett Scores 21, Webb Adds 18, RC Now 6-2
Roanoke vs. Thomas More Box Score
SALEM, VA--Junior center Crystal Barrett scored a game-high 21 points to lead the Roanoke College women’s basketball team to a 69-49 win over the visiting Thomas More (KY) College Saints on Monday evening. The Maroons, who have now won six straight games, improve to 6-2 on the season, while the Saints fall to 6-9 on the season. After losing the first three games in this series, the Maroons have now won two consecutive, including an 85-77 win in Salem last season. Barrett controlled the paint on Monday, scoring her game-high 21 points on 10-of-12 shooting from the field. She also grabbed nine rebounds in the contest, which saw the Maroons shoot 53.5 percent (31-of-58) from the floor. Barrett also added two assists, two steals, and two blocks. Senior forward Suzanne Webb (Narrows, VA/Narrows) scored 18, while Katrina Williams (Salem, VA/Glenvar) chipped in 11.
The Maroon defense was the difference in the game. Led by sophomore Amber Kern (Roanoke, VA/Northside), the RC defense held Thomas More to just 21.7 (15-of-69) from the field in the contest and forced 24 Saint turnovers. Kern and Williams each led all players in the game with four steals. As a team, the Maroons had 14. The 49 points the Maroons allowed were the fewest by a non-conference opponent since they held Greensboro to just 45 during the 1993-94 season.
The Saints trailed by just three points (24-21) with 3:35 left in the first half, but the Maroons closed out the frame on a 6-0 run to push the intermission lead to nine. Roanoke then went on a 5-0 run to start the second half and push the lead to 14. The Saints, however, slowly chipped away at the lead, and with as little as 6:41 left in the game were within six, but the Maroons withstood the charge. The Maroons closed out the game on a 19-6 run to push the margin to 20.
Thomas More was led by Bridget New (Cincinnati, OH/McAuley) who scored 14 points and grabbed nine rebounds. The Saints, who went just 7-of-37 (18.9%) from the field in the second half, also got 12 points from Shawna Kelley (Batavia, OH/Glen Este). Six of TMC’s 15 field goals in the contest came from three-point range, including two from Kelley.
The Maroons return to conference action on Thursday with a home contest against rival Guilford College. The Quakers were eliminated from the ODAC tournament in the semifinals by Roanoke last season and were the conference’s number-four pick (one first place vote) in the preseason coaches poll.