LYNCHBURG, Va. – The Shenandoah University women's basketball team has clinched a home game in the upcoming ODAC Tournament thanks in large part to its 57-49 victory at the University of Lynchburg Saturday afternoon.
The win for Shenandoah (12-13, 8-10 ODAC) over Lynchburg (13-12, 11-7), along with Emory and Henry's victory over Bridgewater, means that SU finishes tied for eighth in the league standings with BC.
Shenandoah, a 73-62 winner at Bridgewater on January 8, earns the Tuesday home game in the first round of the ODAC Tournament versus the Eagles based on the head-to-head tiebreaker.
The Hornets and Eagles will tip-off at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the James R. Wilkins, Jr. Athletics & Events Center with the winner advancing to face top-seeded Guilford on Friday quarterfinal round of the tournament. The final three rounds of the tourney will once again be held in the Salem Civic Center.
IN BRIEF
Shenandoah took a lead it would not relinquish at the 6:58 mark of the first quarter on a Jordan Sondrol jumper, but needed six Sondrol free throws in the final 21 seconds to secure the victory.
Leading 51-40 following an Olivia Weinel layup at 3:46 of the fourth, SU saw its hosts score the next nine points of the game to cut the deficit to just two, 51-49, with 1:24 left.
The two teams traded turnovers on the ensuing two possessions, and with the shot clock off, Lynchburg had to foul in order to get the ball back.
Sondrol, a career 87 percent shooter from the line, was fouled three times and made all six of her shots. It is the 23rd time in her career that she has been perfect from the line in a game and the 2018 All-ODAC honoree is 30-for-32 from the charity stripe since New Year's Day.
The win gives SU a home tournament game for the third time in history and the first since 2014.
QUOTABLE
"This is a huge win for our program," head coach Melissa Smeltzer-Kraft said. "To come down here and dig in defensively the way we did takes tremendous courage by our women. We are so proud of the effort every single person showed today."
UP NEXT
Shenandoah hosts ninth-seeded Bridgewater on Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the first round of the ODAC Tournament.
GAME NOTES
- Lynchburg leads the all-time series 17-9
- Saturday's win snaps an eight-game losing streak to Lynchburg and is Shenandoah's first win in the series since a 50-44 win in Winchester on January 26, 2013.
- The ODAC win at Lynchburg is the first-ever for Shenandoah.
- McKenzie Mathis was the only SU player in double figures. She had 13 points.
- Shenandoah shot 46 percent (23-of-50) from the field to 34 percent (17-of-50) for Lynchburg
- The two teams split 66 rebounds
- Shenandoah has advanced to the ODAC Tournament quarterfinals four times in six seasons of league play including the past two seasons
- This is the second consecutive year that SU will be playing in the No. 8 vs No. 9 game
- The winner of Tuesday's game plays top-seeded Guilford on Friday at 1 p.m. in the opening game of the tournament quarterfinals
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