WINCHESTER, Va. – Visiting Eastern Mennonite clinched the ODAC women's basketball regular season title Wednesday evening with a 58-47 victory over Shenandoah.
EMU (20-4, 14-1 ODAC) has secured the No. 1 seed at the ODAC Tournament beginning Monday evening.
The Royals are one of four teams to earn a bye into the quarterfinals and will take on the winner of the No. 8 vs No. 9 game on Thursday, February 27.
Shenandoah (9-15, 6-9) remains in contention to host a first round game on Monday and can finish as high as the sixth-seed with a win at Roanoke Friday evening in the regular season finale.
Eastern Mennonite seized control of Wednesday's contest with a 12-1 run over the final 5:49 of the first half.
After sophomore Imani Heggins tied the contest at 17-17 with a layup at 6:06, Shakeerah Sykes answered with a jumper on the Royals next trip down the floor and EMU never trailed again.
Sykes' jumper in the lane started the 12-1 spurt – Heggins had the only point for the hosts when she made one of two from the line with 26 seconds remaining.
Eastern Mennonite started the second with another run, this one 11-4, and led by double-digits until the waning moments of the contest.
Coach C.K. Calhoun's club made matters interesting with an 8-2 spurt from the 4:15 to 2:41 marks, but would get no closer than this nine-point deficit.
Bianca Ygarza led the victors with 18 points while Kayla Baltimore added 17.
Holly Chittenden had 14 points and a game-high 13 rebounds for the hosts.
Heggins added 11 points.
Shenandoah shot 35 percent for the game and saw EMU win the battle of the glass 37-33.
The Royals scored 24 points off of the Hornets 15 turnovers.
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