Salem, VA (02/28/03) -- Michelle Orton (Silver Spring, MD/Springbrook) and Emily Crider (Ephrata, PA/Ephrata) combined for 28 of their 38 points in the second half to lead Randolph-Macon past top-seeded Guilford, 84-73, in the first of two Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Women's Basketball Tournament semifinal games Friday.

The Yellow Jackets (18-9) advance to Saturday's (03/01) ODAC Tournament final against either Roanoke or Bridgewater. Guilford's (20-7) season likely ends, barring a surprise at-large bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament.

Orton, a freshman center, and Crider, a sophomore forward, took over the game at the start of the second half and helped the fifth-seeded Yellow Jackets erase an 11-point deficit early in the period. Crider scored eight of her 18 points during a 21-9 run that gave the Yellow Jackets their first lead of the half. Orton's layup with 10:25 left capped the spurt and gave Randolph-Macon a 56-55 advantage.

The lead changed seven times in the middle of the second half before Crider's short jumper with 7:15 left gave the Yellow Jackets the lead for good. The basket, her last before fouling out with 6:59 left, triggered a decisive 13-4 Randolph-Macon run that included key three pointers by freshman Megan Silva (Glen Allen, VA/Hermitage) and senior Lindsay Carroll (Salem, VA/Salem).

Silva and Orton shared game-high scoring honors with 20 points apiece. Orton grabbed a game-best 12 boards and netted 16 of Randolph-Macon's 55 second-half points. Silva also had seven assists and five steals, both game highs. Crider tallied 12 of her 18 points in the second half and also added eight boards in 15 minutes. Senior Allison King (Cary, NC/Cary) scored 14 points thanks to four three-point baskets and Carroll finished with 11 points. All five Randolph-Macon starters scored in double figures.

Junior A.J. Robertson (Eden, NC/Morehead) and freshman Jennifer King (Reidsville, NC/Rockingham County) scored 17 points apiece for the Quakers. King had 13 points and Robertson 11 by halftime as Guilford built a 39-29 lead at the break. Junior Jennie Keichline (Chapel Hill, NC/East Chapel Hill) scored all 15 of her points off the bench in the second half and paced the Quakers with seven rebounds. Junior Jackie Hardenbergh (Oak Hill, VA/Paul VI) scored 12 points in the Quakers' first ODAC Tournament loss since falling in the 2000 ODAC semifinals to Roanoke, 78-60.