Greensboro, NC (02/17/04) -- A.J. Robertson (Eden, NC/Morehead) and Jennifer King (Reidsville, NC/Rockingham County) scored 16 points apiece to lead Guilford past visiting Emory & Henry Tuesday night, 60-57, in Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) women's basketball action.
Brooke Barker's (Rogersville, TN/Cherokee) three-pointer at the buzzer rimmed out for the Wasps, which sealed the Quakers' third straight win and their fifth in six games. Guilford's victory also gained a split of the season series between the two schools.
Emory & Henry missed its first 11 shots, plus two free throws, before Erin Connelly's (Morganton, NC/Freedom) basket put the Wasps on the board at the 9:15 mark. Guilford led 11-0 in the early going and increased its lead to 15 points before settling for a 33-22 halftime advantage.
The Wasps' shots started falling in the second half. Back-to-back three-pointers by Dawn Chewning (Roanoke, VA/William Byrd) and Danielle Moore (Ft. Chiswell, VA/Ft. Chiswell) to start the second half got the guests back into the game. Sophomore Kate Childress' (Shawsville, VA/E. Montgomery) three-pointer with 10:44 left capped a 12-4 Emory & Henry run that tied the game at 44-44. The teams traded baskets before Guilford opened a five-point cushion on two King free throws and Robertson's fourth and final three-pointer of the game.
Emory & Henry pulled to within two points after two Connelly free throws with 6:58 remaining and trimmed a seven-point deficit to three with 1:03 left on a Moore steal and lay-up. She missed the front end of a one-and-one free-throw opportunity with 27 seconds left, but Guilford's King returned the favor at the other end of the floor with 14 seconds remaining. After a time out, the Wasps set up for Barker's final shot from the top of the key just before the buzzer sounded.
Neither team shot especially well, but Guilford enjoyed a 44-34 advantage in rebounds. The Quakers had 16 offensive boards, which led to 24 second-chance points, compared to only 10 second-chance points for Emory & Henry. Guilford's Dara Burke (Richmond, VA/St. Catherine's School) was active on the offensive glass with five of her career-high 10 caroms. Senior Jennie Keichline (Chapel Hill, NC/East Chapel Hill) added 10 points and seven boards for Guilford.
Connelly scored 11 of her game-high 17 points in the second half and paced the Wasps with seven rebounds. Moore finished with 15 points, five rebounds and a game-high four steals.
Tuesday's contest marked the final regular-season home appearance for Guilford's five seniors. The group's four-year win total of 82 is the highest in school history. The Quakers compiled a 43-2 record at home during the seniors' careers, highlighted by a school-record 29-game home winning streak.
Guilford, which has clinched the fourth seed for next weekend's ODAC Tournament, closes the regular season at Washington and Lee Sunday (2/22). The Wasps could finish anywhere from fifth to seventh in the league, pending the outcome of a number of games, including their own Saturday (2/21) at Hollins.
