Hoops Notebook -Maroons Earn NCAA Berth / Faith Falters

Maroons Earn NCAA Berth, Fall in 2nd Round

For a while, it seemed like a cruel case of déjà vu.  The Roanoke College Maroons saw their 15-game winning streak snapped in the semifinals of the ODAC Tournament, when they fell 52-49 to Virginia Wesleyan.

It was the sixth straight year the Maroons lost in the ODAC semis. And just last season, the conference tournament loss cost Roanoke a berth into the NCAA’s.

The fear of experiencing a similar fate was abated Monday afternoon, when the Maroons learned of their at-large bid into the tournament.

In their opening round contest, the Maroons never trailed, defeating McDaniel College 77-66. Jordan Gholston led Roanoke with 22 points, and Jaleesa Osborne added 19.

However, a deep run in the tournament was not meant to be. Roanoke fell to #10 Christopher Newport (30-0) in the second round, 72-48. The Maroons actually led 14-13 midway through the first half, only to see CNU go on a 21-1 run to effectively put the game out of reach.

Senior Caitlyn Long (Cave Spring) scored a career-high 28 points in the losing effort. Roanoke ends the season with a 24-4 record.

Faith Christian Lady Warriors Finish As Runner-Up In State Finals

The Faith Christian Warriors fell just shy of their second VACA state championship in two seasons, falling to Mt. Carmel 51-42 on Saturday.

The Warriors demise was caused by a brutal third quarter in which Faith Christian could muster only four points.

“We played a great first half, but we just had one bad quarter where it seemed like there was a lid on the basket,” Head Coach Eric Walker said. “It was tough to watch, but the girls never quit.”

One night earlier, the Warriors defeated Grace Christian to advance to the finals. Jackie Jessop led Faith with 14 points in that contest.

Faith Christian (22-2) will now head out to the NACA National Tournament in Tennessee, where they will compete with some of the best private schools in the country.