Rally over Roanoke moves women to 4-0

The women’s basketball team continued their winning streak on Tuesday night when they edged out Roanoke College in a 61-54 victory. The win improved their record to 4-0 overall and 1-0 in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference.

Going into halftime on Tuesday night, it looked as though a Royals victory would not materialize. EMU trailed Roanoke by ten points in their first ODAC game of the season, but rallied in the second half for the win. Sophomore forward, Carrie Grandstraff, led both teams with 19 points and added six rebounds. Laura Ludholtz contributed 12 points, four offensive and five defensive rebounds, and eight assists. Stephanie Mathews registered 14 points and five rebounds and Amanda Renalds added 10 points and five rebounds. The team’s free throw percentage was an impressive 75 percent for the game.

Tuesday’s victory was preceded by pre-Thanksgiving action at EMU. The weekend before Thanksgiving break brought the Loyal Royal Tip-Off Classic, and gave Coach Richard McElwee his first two collegiate coaching wins. On Friday evening the Lady Royals defeated Shenandoah University with a final score of 77-56. Saturday was again successful for the team as they registered their second win of the season against LaRoche College. That game favored EMU with a final score of 66-49. Ludholtz scored 15 points and had seven rebounds against LaRoche, and Grandstraff registered 36 points on the weekend. Regina Sours had 10 points and nine rebounds against Shenandoah, and Mathews scored 16 points in the same game, and had 18 rebounds for the weekend. Renalds’ scored in the double digits both games of the tournament and contributed six rebounds in both of the games. Shantee Bryant, a junior guard, registered five points against LaRoche.

The successful weekend was followed by the Lady Royals’ third win of the season against Southern Virginia. The Royals ended the game with four players scoring in the double digits, and two players registering rebounds in the double figures as well. Ludholtz, a sophomore guard, registered 23 points, eight assists and eight rebounds. Grandstaff added 19 points and five assists, with Mathews adding 13 points and a game high 14 rebounds. Renalds contributed 12 points and rebounds with Sours and Johnna Sowella adding seven and six rebounds respectively, from the bench. The final score against the Southern Virginia was 89-71.

EMU faces Hollins at home on Friday, Dec. 5 and travels to Randolph-Macon on Saturday for a 2 p.m. tip-off. Pre-Christmas play ends on Sunday, Dec. 14, when the Lady Royals travel to Marymount in Arlington, Va. Games resume on Saturday, Jan. 3 and Sunday, Jan. 4 at home against Lynchburg and Roanoke in two ODAC matches.