Greensboro, NC (01/31/03) -- Sophomore forward Courtney Hill (Kannapolis, NC/North Rowan) scored a team-high 14 points, including two game-winning free throws with 11 seconds left, in Guilford's 66-65 Old Dominion Athletic Conference women's basketball win over Virginia Wesleyan Friday.
The Quakers' (11-5, 9-3 ODAC) eighth victory in nine games extends their school-record home winning streak to 20. Virginia Wesleyan (4-11, 3-9 ODAC) suffered its eighth straight loss.
Hill's free throws avenged two misses from the charity stripe 28 seconds earlier that would have tied the game or given Guilford the lead. Freshman Nikki Kemp (Norfolk, VA/Norview) rebounded Hill's second miss, but the Marlins failed to run out the clock as the Quakers' forced a backcourt violation with 27 seconds left near midcourt. Guilford cleared out for Hill, who drove to the basket and drew freshman Brandi Coffer's (Chesapeake, VA/Deep Creek) fourth foul and the team's 12th. Hill calmly sank both free throws for the game's 10th and final lead change.
After a timeout, Virginia Wesleyan set up a good shot for Coffer in the paint, but it rattled out and Guilford's A.J. Robertson (Eden, NC/Morehead) corralled the rebound as time expired.
Virginia Wesleyan whittled down a 10-point second-half deficit and grabbed its first lead since the opening period (58-57) on two Angie Cavanaugh (Charlottesville, VA/Charlottesville) free throws with 5:05 remaining. Cavanaugh paced the visitors' comeback with 10 of her game-high 16 points in the second half, including a clutch three-pointer with 2:03 left that tied the game at 63-63. Guilford regained the lead at the 1:18 mark when Nicole McCrory (Charlotte, NC/East Mecklenburg) made one of two free throws, but the Marlins answered with two Cherie Cannady (Woodbridge, VA/Potomac) free throws with 55 seconds left for a 65-64 edge.
McCrory's play on both ends of the court helped Guilford tremendously. She matched her career high with 12 points and made eight of 10 free throws. The junior point guard hounded Virginia Wesleyan's ball-handlers all night, made a game-high four steals and forced more than a few of the Marlins' 28 turnovers that led to 27 Guilford points.
Freshman guard Jennifer King (Reidsville, NC/Rockingham County) added 12 points and three assists. Robertson finished with 12 points off the bench and matched her career high with five boards. Junior forward Jackie Hardenbergh (Oak Hill, VA/Paul VI) scored eight points, including six in the second half.
Virginia Wesleyan's Kemp made all five field goals, plus two free throws, for 12 points off the bench. Junior Devin Allen (Machipongo, VA/Northampton) scored nine points and junior forward Leah Starkey (Chesapeake, VA/Nansemond-Suffolk) added eight points off the bench.
Guilford, winners of eight straight against Virginia Wesleyan, looks for its 21st straight home win Saturday (2/1) versus league-rival Randolph-Macon at 4:00 p.m. The Marlins visit Emory & Henry Saturday (2/1) in a 5:00 p.m. ODAC match.
