WINCHESTER, Va. – The Shenandoah University women's basketball team continued its quest for the most successful season in program history with an 85-55 ODAC win over Virginia Wesleyan Wednesday evening in its home finale.
 
Shenandoah (18-5, 12-5 ODAC) equaled the 1999-2000 team's university-era record for wins in a season with the victory over Virginia Wesleyan (3-21, 0-17).
 
IN BRIEF
With one regular season game left, SU is now three wins from tying the 1987-88 squad (competing as Shenandoah College & Conservatory) for the program-record of 21 victories.
 
Wednesday's win, the Hornets 10^th in the last 11 games, started off slowly as Virginia Wesleyan held an 18-13 lead after one quarter of play.
 
The second quarter changed the entire tenor of the game, however, as SU blitzed the Marlins for 20 points while giving up just six. Shenandoah held VWU to just seven percent shooting (1-of-15) in the period as it turned that three-point deficit into a nine-point (33-24) halftime lead.
 
Coach Melissa Smeltzer-Kraft's club turned up the pressure even more in the third, scoring another 27 points, to lead 50-36 heading to the fourth.
 
Midway through the final stanza and up by 29, Smeltzer-Kraft turned to her reserves for the final five minutes. One of those reserves, Meredith Lloyd, drained a 3-pointer at the buzzer to provide the final points of the contest. Fifteen of the 16 women who saw action for the hosts registered at least two points.
 
Olivia Weinel and Sierra St. Cyr had 16 points each for the victors with St. Cyr posting a double-double thanks to 10 rebounds. She also had five assists.
 
Shenandoah shot 51 percent (35-of-69) and had a 46-33 edge on the glass. Shenandoah dominated scoring in the paint, 46-10.
 
NOTABLE
The 1999-2000 squad, the Dixie Conference Champions, finished 18-9 after falling at Roanoke College in the opening round of the 2000 NCAA Division III Tournament.
 
UP NEXT
Shenandoah completes its regular season with a 2 p.m. ODAC contest at Ferrum Saturday afternoon.
 
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