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Women's Basketball

ODAC Women's Basketball Report: Week 15

Nationally fifth-ranked Washington and Lee is in a very selective class entering the final week of the regular season. Not only did forward Mary Schleusner add another ODAC record (career blocks) to her résumé, but the Generals went 2-0 in conference play to improve to 23-0 overall and remain as one of just four unblemished teams in Division III. That includes NYU – which is on an all-time record 84-game winning streak – Scranton, and Johns Hopkins. All four are ranked in the top-five along with Wisconsin-Oshkosh (20-1).

The NPI will soon become the rankings all ODAC and Division III women's basketball fans watch with varying levels of anxiety as the at-large selections for the NCAA Tournament are determined. Through Saturday's games, five ODAC teams own rankings inside the top-43 – WLU (4th), Bridgewater (28th), Shenandoah (31st), Randolph-Macon (32nd), and Guilford (43rd).

Entering the final week of the regular season, nine teams are vying for the eight positions in the ODAC Tournament with two more trying to get into the conversation. Washington and Lee at 14-0 owns a two-game edge on Bridgewater (12-2). Randolph-Macon increased its winning streak to seven games and at 11-3 is one back of the Eagles. Guilford and Shenandoah are neck-and-neck for fourth at 9-5 with Virginia Wesleyan two back at 7-7. Hollins is sitting at 6-8 in league play, while Lynchburg and Roanoke are locked at 5-9 to tie for eighth currently. They are two games up on EMU and Randolph.

  • MARY SCHLEUSNER | WASHINGTON AND LEE | FORWARD
    Schleusner, a senior from Charlotte, N.C., helped the nationally fifth-ranked Generals continue to roll with two more victories last week to improve to 23-0 on the season and 14-0 in ODAC play. Schleusner added to her growing list of ODAC records as her seven total blocked shots over the two outings increased her career total to 332 to overtake former EMU standout Laurie Miller's 329 rejections from 1994-98. Schleusner averaged 20.5 points and 15.5 rebounds with five assists and a steal to go with her seven blocked shots in WLU's home wins over Randolph (88-46) and Hollins (118-51), the latter of which included a new program record for team points scored in a game. Against the WildCat, Schleusner registered 16 points and 11 rebounds to go with two assists, a steal, and four blocked shots. She was 6-of-13 from the field and 4-of-5 from the foul line. Versus HU, Schleusner registered her Division III-best 21st double-double of the season with 25 points and 20 rebounds to go with three assists and three blocked shots. He was 9-of-13 from the field and cashed in 6-of-8 foul shots. For the season, Schleusner leads the ODAC in scoring (21.0), field goals made (180), and rebounding (16.8). She is second in blocked shots (50), third in free throws made (94), fourth in field goal shooting (.504, 180-of-357), 11th in foul shooting (.740, 94-of-127), and 12th in assists (57).

  • ERIN PORTER | RANDOLPH-MACON | GUARD
    Porter, a sophomore from Virginia Beach, Va., registered a pair of 20-point games and shot better than 59-percent from the field in helping Randolph-Macon rattle off two more ODAC wins to extend the Yellow Jackets' winning streak to seven straight games. RMC is now 17-6 overall and 11-3 in ODAC. Porter averaged 21.5 points and was 16-of-27 from the field including 5-of-11 from beyond the arc with a 6-of-9 showing from the foul line in home wins over Shenandoah (62-53) and Guilford (83-75). She added three assists, six steals, and two blocked shots. Against SU, Porter poured in a game-high 22 points on 9-of-14 shooting and 3-of-6 from the stripe. She added three boards (2 offensive) with an assist, three steals, and a blocked shot. Versus the Quakers, Porter led RMC with 21 points on 7-of-13 from the field including 4-of-8 from downtown. She also cashed in all three of her foul shots. She added four rebounds, two assists, three steals, and a blocked shot to her effort. For the season, Porter is 11th in the ODAC in scoring (13.7) powered by the fourth-most made three-pointers (44). She is shooting .319 (44-of-138) from beyond the arc, seventh-best in the conference.

Mary Schleusner
Erin Porter