Week 10

WASHINGTON AND LEE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL (13-8, 12-5 ODAC) 

Feb. 16 at Eastern Mennonite (15-7, 11-7 ODAC); 7:00 pm
Feb. 19 vs. Roanoke College (20-2, 17-1 ODAC); 7:00 pm
Feb. 20 vs. Bridgewater College (15-7, 11-6 ODAC); 4:00 pm

PDF Version of the Notes

KING OF THE GENERALS
Mandy King (Southern Maine ’98) is in her seventh season as head women’s basketball coach at W&L and is the program’s all-time winningest coach with an 85-93 (.478) record.  She is assisted by Abby Pyzik (Lynchburg ‘04), who is in her second season. Facing this week’s competition, King holds a record of 5-11 against Eastern Mennonite, 4-9 versus Roanoke College and 4-10 against Bridgewater College.

THE WEEK AHEAD
The Generals will head into the final week of regular-season ODAC competition with three contests, traveling to Eastern Mennonite on Tuesday before hosting Roanoke College on Friday and Bridgewater College on Saturday. W&L does not hold an overall winning percentage against the three teams, with EMU holding a 21-13 advantage, RC leading the series 27-4 and BC owning a 26-6 overall record. The games against Roanoke and Bridgewater will mark the third time this season the Generals will play back-to-back contests, going 1-1 in the first game and 2-0 in the second contest of those series.

LAST TIME OUT (vs. Randolph-Macon, W, 73-56)
The Washington and Lee women’s basketball team claimed its 11th victory in 13 games as it defeated Randolph-Macon, 73-56, on Saturday afternoon at the Warner Center. With the game tied, 7-7, at the 15:37 mark in the first half, the Generals went on a 28-9 run over the next 10:30 to assume a 35-16 lead with 5:07 remaining and never looked back. W&L would assume its largest lead of the contest at 20 points (42-22) with 1:12 remaining in the opening period and went into the half with a 42-25 lead. Randolph-Macon would make the game close in the second half, going on a 12-4 run over 6:25 to pull within seven points (60-53) with 4:54 remaining, but W&L would close the game on a 13-3 run to claim the 17-point victory. W&L, which shot just 39.3 percent (24-61) for the game, outrebounded the Yellow Jackets, 51-28, including grabbing 21 offensive rebounds to R-MC’s 10. Additionally, W&L connected on 18-of-24 attempts from the line (75.0 percent), while R-MC attempted just 13 charity tosses, making only seven (53.8 percent). The Generals have now won seven consecutive games at the Warner Center dating back to Jan. 9, establishing a new program record for longest home winning streak. The previous record was six games, which occurred Jan. 20—Feb. 17 of last season. Sophomore forward Becca Bolton led W&L with her 13th double-double of the season, notching 21 points and 15 boards. Junior center Felice Herman recorded 16 points and 10 rebounds for her third double-double of the season, while sophomore guard Meg Ingram added 18 points on 6-of-10 shooting, including 4-of-4 from the arc. Ingram also added eight rebounds, as did first-year guard Katy Wilson.

LAST TIME VS. EASTERN MENNONITE (Jan. 12, W, 66-46)
For the second consecutive game, four Washington and Lee players recorded double-digit points and W&L shot 46.2 percent from the field as the Generals defeated Eastern Mennonite, 66-46, at the Warner Center. The game was closely contested early on, with the Generals leading by only one point (14-13) with 11:34 remaining in the first half, but W&L would go on a 20-4 run over the next 7:18 to extend its lead to 17 points (34-17) at the 4:16 mark and take a 10-point lead (34-24) into the break. However, the Royals posted a 13-2 run to close out the first stanza and open the second to pull within six points, 36-30, at the 18:08 mark in the second half. Then Generals then went on a 24-2 run to assume a 60-32 lead with 9:10 remaining in cruising to the 20-point victory and handing EMU its second consecutive loss of the season. W&L shot 46.2 percent (24-52) in the game, including 9-of-17 (52.9 percent) from behind the arc. EMU was held to 38.3 percent (18-47) shooting from the field and shot just 28.6 percent (4-14) from deep. Sophomore guard Meg Ingram led all W&L scorers with 13 points and three assists. Sophomore forward Becca Bolton chipped in 12 points and 12 rebounds for her fourth double-double of the season, while fellow sophomore Kari Ann Pfannenstein also added 12 points. Junior guard Allie Long rounded out the players in double-digit scoring with 11 points. EMU was paced by junior center Danielle Scott’s game-high 17 points.

LAST TIME VS. ROANOKE COLLEGE (Jan. 15, L, 57-54)
Washington and Lee sophomore forward Becca Bolton recorded her fifth double-double of the season, but the Generals were held scoreless for a five minute stretch in the second half as Roanoke edged W&L, 57-54, at the C. Homer Bast Center. The Generals found themselves down 11 points in the first half (27-16), but used a 12-3 run to make it a two-point game (30-28) with 53 seconds left in the first half and ultimately trailed 33-28 at the break following a three-pointer by Roanoke sophomore guard Kendra Porter. W&L’s scoring run continued in the second half as the Generals took their only lead of the game (34-33) with 17:13 to play on a three-pointer from sophomore guard Kari Ann Pfannenstein. However, the Maroons held W&L scoreless over the next 4:43, outscoring the Generals 10-0 to take a 43-34 lead with 12:30 to play. RC stretched its lead to as many as 11 points on two occasions, but W&L used an 8-3 run late in the second half to pull within three points (57-54) with 1:28 to play. However the Generals could pull no closer as Roanoke held on for the win. Bolton tallied 15 points on 6-12 shooting and added 15 rebounds. Pfannenstein recorded 16 points on 6-11 shooting, including 4-6 from beyond the three-point line. Sophomore guard Meg Ingram added seven points and six boards. The Maroons were led by junior center Jordan Gholson, who tallied 16 points and 11 rebounds. Senior guard Caitlyn Long added 12 points and junior guard Rebecca Bays chipped in four points, six assists and five rebounds.

LAST TIME VS. BRIDGEWATER COLLEGE (Jan. 16, W, 67-58)
Sophomore forward Becca Bolton and junior center Felice Herman both recorded double-doubles to lead Washington and Lee to a 67-58 win over Bridgewater at Nininger Hall. The Generals offset 29 turnovers by shooting 55.0 percent (11-20) from the floor in the second half and holding a 50-32 rebounding advantage for the game. W&L used a 10-1 spurt over a span of 6:31 to build a 17-7 lead at the 13:01 mark of the first half en route to a 10-point lead (32-22) at the break. A 9-2 surge to begin the second stanza pushed the Generals’ lead out to 17 points (41-24) with 17:34 remaining, but the Eagles would make a late run, eventually cutting it to a four-point game (52-48) with 6:28 left in the game.  However, W&L responded with five quick points to push it back to a nine-point advantage (57-48) with 5:20 left and Bridgewater could not muster another run as the Generals walked away with their first win at BC since the 2004-05 season. Bolton scored a game-high 20 points on 8-of-14 shooting from the field and grabbed 18 rebounds.  She also tallied five assists and three steals.  Herman was 9-of-10 from the floor in scoring a season-high 19 points.  She also snared a season-best 12 rebounds.  Sophomore guard Meg Ingram added 13 points and four assists. Bridgewater was led by sophomore guard Jenny Logan, who registered 15 points. 

SCOUTING EASTERN MENNONITE
EMU is currently 15-7 on the season, including an 11-7 mark in the ODAC. The Royals are coming off a 56-55 overtime loss at Guilford on Sunday. Guilford senior Jasmine Wood’s free throw with 8.7 seconds left in overtime gave Guilford College the win over EMU on Sunday. The defensive contest featured three ties, five lead changes and both teams shooting less than 32 percent from the floor. Guilford led for most of the contest, but never by more than nine points in the early moments of the second half. Eastern Mennonite gradually worked its deficit down and took a 46-45 lead on first-year guard Danielle Rittenhouse’s three-pointer with 3:31 left in regulation. Jazlyn Gibbs’ three-pointer with 1:58 remaining in the second half gave Guilford a 48-46 edge that grew to four points on two Wood free throws with 57 seconds remaining. Eastern Mennonite rallied with a basket by junior guard Brittany Snyder, followed by senior guard Ebony Dennis’game-tying jumper with 16 seconds remaining to force overtime. The extra frame saw the teams combine for just two field goals and seven turnovers. The teams traded turnovers before Wood drove the lane and was fouled. She made the second of two free throws for a 56-55 Quakers’ lead. After a timeout, Eastern Mennonite’s senior guard Melissa Lewis tried a similar move, but lost the ball in a crowd as the final horn sounded. Snyder paced Eastern Mennonite with 11 points off the bench, followed by Rittenhouse’s 10 points. Rookie forward Sara Lamneck scored four points, made three steals and grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds before fouling out. On the season, EMU is led by junior center Danielle Scott, who is averaging 11.8 points per game. Lamneck is the team’s leading rebounder, grabbing an average of 7.9 rebounds per game on the season, while registering 9.0 points per game, third-best on the team.

SCOUTING ROANOKE COLLEGE
The Maroons currently sit atop the ODAC standings with a 17-1 record in conference play and a 20-2 overall mark. The team is riding a 12-game winning streak, having not lost a contest since Jan. 8 against Randolph-Macon. RC will have the week off before making the trip to Lexington on Friday. Roanoke College is led by junior center Jordan Gholson, who is averaging 12.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.2 blocked shots per game on the season. Senior guard Caitlyn Long sits second on the team with 11.2 points per game, while sophomore center Nicci Moats leads the team with 7.8 rebounds per game.

SCOUTING BRIDGEWATER COLLEGE
Bridgewater has posted a 15-7 overall mark for the season, including going 11-6 in the ODAC. The Eagles will travel to Lynchburg College on Tuesday and face Hollins on Friday before playing W&L. BC is led by junior guard Jordan Burkholder, who is averaging 17.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.1 steals per game.

THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME
By defeating Randolph-Macon on Saturday, the Generals have now won seven consecutive games at the Warner Center dating back to Jan. 9, establishing a new program record for longest home winning streak. The previous record was six games, which occurred Jan. 20—Feb. 17 of last season.  This season’s streak dates back to Jan. 9, and during that time W&L has outscored (528-396, 18.9 ppg), outrebounded (301-217, 12.0 rpg) and outshot (186-422, 44.1 percent vs. 142-389, 36.5 percent) its opponents.

PAGE SIX
In the game against Emory & Henry on Tuesday, six Generals tabbed double-digit points in a single game for the first time since February 17, 1998. First-year forward Rachel Warrick led W&L with 16 points, first-year guard Katy Wilson added 14 points, sophomore forward Kari Ann Pfannenstein contributed 13 points, sophomore guard Meg Ingram chipped in 12 points, sophomore forward Becca Bolton scored 10 points and senior center Kaitlyn Kamp registered 10 points. On the season, W&L has recorded 13 games with three or more players notching double-digit points, posting a 10-3 record while outscoring opponents by an average of 15.6 points (751-548) in the 10 wins.

HOT HANDS I
This week’s competition for W&L will feature four of the top five team field goal shooting percentage leaders in the ODAC. Currently Bridgewater is in second, shooting 42.0 percent (533-1,270), W&L is in third at 41.1 percent (480-1,167), Roanoke is in fourth with a 40.7 shooting percentage (538-1,321) and Eastern Mennonite in fifth, shooting 39.8 percent (496-1,247). Two of the top three three-point shooting percentage leaders in conference standings will also match-up, with second-place Bridgewater going 94-of-273 (34.4 percent) taking on third-place W&L, which has gone 120-of-361 (33.2 percent).

HOT HANDS II
Paring with the top team field goal shooting percentage leaders, four of the top five individual field goal shooters will take to the court in W&L’s contests this week. Roanoke junior center Jordan Gholson leads the way, shooting 52.7 percent, with junior center Felice Herman (51.0 percent), Eastern Mennonite’s first-year forward Sara Lamneck (50.6 percent) and sophomore forward Becca Bolton (50.4 percent) following closely behind.

ON THE BOARDS
W&L has been a strong rebounding team all season, and now finds itself second in the conference, outrebounding opponents by a +5.9 average (854-731). In their last two games, the Generals have outrebounded opponents, 105-58, (23.5 rpg). Sophomore forward Becca Bolton is second in the conference, with an average of 11.3 rebounds per game.

THE USUAL SUSPECTS
The Generals’ starting five of Kari Ann Pfannenstein, Meg Ingram, Becca Bolton, Allie Long and Felice Herman have been the driving force behind W&L’s offense this season, scoring 76.4 percent (1,030-1,348) of its points thus far. The pentad is averaging 49.0 points, 27.1 rebounds and 11.3 assists per game.

OFF THE BENCH
First-year guard Katy Wilson has found a spot in the Generals rotation this season as a solid option off the bench. She has seen action in all 21 contests for W&L, scoring a point in every game. Wilson is averaging 5.5 points (sixth on team), 4.2 rebounds (third on team) and is shooting 43.9 percent (43-98, third on team) from the field. Wilson has been a key component in the Generals’ last five games, shooting 71.4 percent (15-21) from the field, while averaging 7.6 rebounds and 7.0 points. She also recorded her first career double-double against Emory & Henry on Jan. 9 (14 pts., 11 rebs.).

SEEING DOUBLES
Sophomore guard Becca Bolton recorded her 12th double-double of the season and 20th of her career on Saturday against Randolph-Macon (21 pts, 15 reb), adding to her career-high for double-doubles in a season (she recorded eight last year). Bolton still trails Jessica Hunsinger ‘06, who recorded a program-high 14 double-doubles during her rookie campaign (2003-04) and 47 for her career. Over Bolton’s two-year career, the Generals are 13-7 (.650) when she records a double-double. On the season, Bolton has been the top scorer and rebounder in 12 of 21 contests, and has been the team leader in either individual category in 20 of the teams’ 21 contests.

DIFFERENTIATING POINTS
W&L has 12 ODAC victories this season, and has outscored its opponents, 870-662 (17.3 ppg), in those contests. With one more win, the Generals will tie a program record for most conference wins in a season (13), which was established last season. In its five ODAC losses, W&L has been outscored, 290-261 (5.8 ppg). Four of the five contests were decided by a combined nine points (2.3 point average), with the Generals going 2-4 in games decided by four points or less.

TAKE THE LEAD
This season, the Generals are 11-1 when leading and 1-0 when the game is tied at halftime, with their only loss coming at Christopher Newport on Nov. 21. Their largest lead going into the half has been 29 points (at Hollins, 11/30), with six of the 13 other contests separated by single-digit margins. On the flip side, in the eight contests that W&L has been down at the half, three games have been by double-digits.

NEW YEAR, BETTER RESULTS
Over the past six seasons under head coach Mandy King, the Generals have been more successful in the final two months of the season compared to the first two. King has a record of 10-17 (.370) in November and 9-16 (.360) in December, but in turn has led W&L to a 39-35 (.527) record in January and 27-27 (.500) mark in February. The Generals went 7-3 (.700) in January this season, the second-best record during the first year of the month in program history (last season the team went 8-3 (.727) in January).

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