WINCHESTER, Va. – The Shenandoah University women's basketball team christened the James R. Wilkins, Jr. Athletics & Events Center Wednesday evening with a 67-62 ODAC victory over Bridgewater College.

Shenandoah (9-11, 5-6 ODAC) defeated the Eagles (9-10, 5-6) for just the second time in program history (snapping a nine-game losing streak) and for the first time since January 16, 2013.

Playing the second half of the doubleheader with the SU men on opening night for the Wilkins Center, the Hornets earned the victory before a program-record 828 fans.

The two teams traded the lead five times and were tied on three additional occasions, but Shenandoah led for 32 of the game's 40 minutes and held that lead for the final 22:45 of the contest.

Sophomore Sarah Donley, who finished with seven points, gave SU the lead for good thanks to a 3-pointer at that 2:45 mark.

That bucket was the second one in a 9-2 half-finishing run for the Hornets.

Bridgewater cut the deficit to three, 35-32, with 6:52 remaining in the third only to see the Hornets rip off 19 of the game's next 27 points to expand its lead out to 14, 54-40, with 8:58 remaining in the contest.

Coach Melissa Smeltzer-Kraft's club kept the lead in double-digits as late as the 1:47 mark before BC closed out the game on a 12-7 run.

With the Eagles putting SU on the line, Ashley Stone and Jordan Sondrol combined to make 3-of-4 free throws down the stretch to clinch the victory.

Stone led the victors with 18 points with Sondrol adding 16.

Shenandoah shot 25-of-62 (40 percent) and had a slight, 46-45, advantage on the glass.

McKenzie Mathis led this effort with 11 rebounds.

"Great conference win, proud to defend our new home for 40 minutes," Smeltzer-Kraft said. "It was an awesome night for so many reasons! Looking forward to being in the thick of it in the ODAC standings."

The win ties SU with Bridgewater for eighth in the league standings.

The women continue this homestand on Saturday with a 2 p.m. ODAC contest versus Lynchburg.

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