Women primed for ODAC

Heather Phillips sure put on a show for Virginia Wesleyan’s women’s basketball game this past weekend. The rookie, who has been leading the team with points in the past several games, hit a buzzer beater shot against Hollins University Saturday.

“I was just glad to get it off on time,” said Phillips.

She did exactly that. The ball swished into the net right when the buzzer went off. The score was tied at 66 before Phillips grabbed a loose rebound all the way out past the three-point arch. She turned around and fired it up for the victory.

“It really was a phenomenal shot,” said Head Coach Stephany Dunmyer. “She really did not have much time to look at the basket.”

“In the beginning of the season, I told my mom that I would score at least one three-pointer for every game that she couldn’t make,” said Phillips.

She did not get a chance to put in a three until the buzzer went off at the perfect moment.

Co-Captain Michelle Dove also helped put points on the board with 11, including a trio of three-pointers.

“The game was a little too close for comfort,” said Dunmyer.

The game on Sunday, however, was the opposite. The Marlins took home a 77-45 victory over Randolph-Macon Woman’s College. This game brought the women’s basketball team to a 10-10 record in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference and 12-13 overall.

“It was a good team win. Everyone stepped up and gave good minutes,” said co-captain Elise Conway

Rookie forward Katie Heilenday and Phillips led the defense. Heilenday pulled down a career high of 13 rebounds, and Phillips grabbed 12 rebounds for the game.

“There was so much balance,” Dunmyer said. “As a team everybody contributed their play. Everyone hit shots and came through.”

Phillips also led the offense with 16 points, giving her third consecutive double-double for leading points and rebounds. Rookie Allison Wheeler also contributed a career-high of 13 points.

Sophomore Lauren Rector, Dove and rookie Chelsey Barrett also sparked the offense with three-pointers and jump shots.

“We needed both these wins this weekend to clinch the sixth seed for the tournament,” said Conway.

The two wins this past weekend also came with a few losses prior to the Hollins and Randolph-Macon Woman’s College victories.

On Feb. 16 the Lady Marlins went up against Eastern Mennonite University and came home with a 70-88 loss. Phillips hit a game high of 24 points and 15 rebounds.

“It was a little sluggish,” Dunmyer said. “I was a little disappointed about the energy level, but I didn’t question their efforts. Heather came out strong and Michelle Dove really bounced back.”

Dove, who scored eight consecutive points in the second half, ended up putting in a total of 18 points for the Marlins. She kept the game tight with two three-pointers and a lay-up with about 15 minutes to go. Then Eastern Mennonite started taking the lead, and VWC couldn’t catch up.

On Feb. 12 the Marlins also came home without another loss after playing Bridgewater College. The score was a close 71-69 after Bridgewater made two free throws with only a few seconds remaining on the clock. Dove led the team with 15 points, while Wheeler put in 13.

“This was a tough loss, only by two points,” Conway said. “Bridgewater is ranked the No. 2 seed, so we did prove that we could hold our own. I guess you can say that the game gave us motivation for our next games.”

On Feb. 8, the Marlins claimed its 74-71 win over Lynchburg College. Phillps led the team with rebounds and points once again, scoring 17 and bringing down 11 rebounds.

Lynchburg was a huge game for the Marlins and a close one. Neither team led more then seven minutes throughout both grueling periods. The lead ended changed 21 times, causing a back-and-forth battle. Rector put in an important three-pointer with only 2:33 minutes left. This helped push VWC into the lead for a win.

Dove finished with 10 points, Rector with nine and Barrett put in eight points.

The Marlins will be on its way to the ODAC tournament for the first time since 2001. The first game is against Roanoke College on Feb. 24 at 8:00 p.m.

Roanoke is a strong team that consists of many good shooters. However, the Marlins have a good chance at them.

“We match up pretty well with them,” Dunmyer said. “If we force a lot of turnovers and take away their comfort zone, we should have a pretty good advantage. We will just have to use a lot of pressure defense.”

“If we all come with our best game, then we should be able to make a win,” Phillips said.