The Roanoke College women swept both games in the two-day Susan Dunagan Holiday Classic at the Cregger Center in Salem last weekend. Roanoke defeated Franklin & Marshall on Saturday and Meredith on Sunday afternoon.
Against Franklin & Marshall the Maroons took a 66-63 win, rallying from nine point halftime deficit. Roanoke was led by Allison Livengood, who scored 19 points off the bench. Laura McManimen had 14 points and Kristina Harrel had eight for the Maroons.
The Diplomats made 11-of-17 shots from the floor in the first quarter to stake themselves to a 26-17 advantage after the first 10 minutes. Each team scored 13 points in the second quarter to send the teams to the locker room with F&M up 39-30.
The Diplomats would extend their lead to 43-33 with 6:39 to go in the third quarter before RC rallied, going on a 17-5 run to take a 50-48 lead on a Livengood basket with 48 seconds to play in the third. The Maroons led 52-48 going into the final quarter and pushed their lead to 56-50 on a Livengood layup with just under six minutes to go in the game.
F&M pulled within two at 63-61 with 46 seconds to go. McManimen made two free-throws to make it a four-point game with 30 seconds left before Hamill scored to make it a two-point game with 25 seconds left. After an RC turnover, the Diplomats had a chance to tie the game but missed a shot, then Molly Hassell stole the ball from and was fouled. Hassell made 1-of-2 free-throws on the other end then stole the ball as F&M attempted to push the ball up the floor for a final shot.
On Sunday three Maroons scored in double digits as Roanoke topped Meredith, 71-64, in the final game of the Dunagan Classic. McManimen scored 16 points, Victoria Maxwell had a dozen and Corinne McPadden added nine.
With the score 22-20 RC in the second quarter, Roanoke used a 10-0 run capped by a pair of free throws from McPadden to extend the lead to 32-20 with four minutes left in the first half. The Avenging Angels brought it within one with five minutes left before Chris Martin made a three-point play to make it 64-60. Roanoke went on the score seven free-throws down the stretch to secure the win.
McPadden and McManimen of RC made the All-Classic team as the Maroons improved to 4-7 overall. Roanoke is back in action this Saturday at 3:30 pm to host Randolph College in an ODAC match. The women had a trip to Guilford on Wednesday but results were too late for publication.
