SALEM, Va. (EMU Athletics) – The EMU Women’s Basketball team made the roughly two-hour trip to Salem on Saturday to take on Roanoke College. Sadly, the Royals returned to Harrisonburg with a 70-48 loss to the Maroons.
Jeriyah Osborne led the way for the Royals, scoring 15 points on 7-of-18 shooting from the field. Lauren Townsend followed her with eight points on the afternoon.
For Roanoke, Ashley Fowler led all scorers with 24 points, most notably going 6-of-9 on her three-point attempts. Paige Breuer, the 2024-25 ODAC Rookie of the Year, contributed 10 points to the Maroons’ winning effort.
Records: EMU 5-8, 0-4 ODAC | Roanoke 7-6, 1-3 ODAC
Highlights
First Quarter
After Fowler opened the game with three-pointer for Roanoke, Jazmyn Taylor sank two free throws to get EMU on the board. Trailing 9-4, the Royals went on a 9-0 run that spanned 3:42 of game time, getting their first lead of the game on an Osborne layup at the 4:29 mark. Jada Waller capped the rally with a made free throw to put the Royals up 13-9 with 2:41 left in the quarter. Lexie Dingus tacked on two more free throws, and EMU led 15-14 going to the second quarter.
Second Quarter
Fowler made a two-point jumper to put Roanoke back on top 16-15, but Townsend immediately countered with a layup to push the Royals back up by one, 17-16. The two teams then traded 6-0 scoring runs, with the Maroons going up 22-17, only for EMU to respond and edge back out front, 23-22. Osborne, Waller, and Anabelle Simmons contributed two points each to the rally. Roanoke then scored seven unanswered points for another lead change, going up 29-23. Jones cut the deficit in half, draining a three-pointer with just six seconds left in the half. That bucket got the Royals within three at 29-26 going to the locker room.
Third Quarter
Roanoke went on a 12-0 scoring run over the opening 3:31 of the second half to open up a 15-point lead on EMU. Lauren Mayn stemmed the run with a two-point jumper off of the assist from Osborne, but then Fowler tallied five more points to grow the Maroons’ lead to 18. The two teams traded baskets the rest of the frame as the Maroons went into the fourth quarter up 52-34 on the Royals.
Fourth Quarter
The Royals could get no closer than 16 points across the final 10 minutes. The highlight of the fourth quarter for EMU came with 2:25 remaining when Taylor Linton made her first career college three-pointer.
Statistical Leaders
Scoring: Osborne (15)
Rebounds: Mayn (6)
Assists: Dingus (2)
Steals: Mayn (3)
What’s Next
EMU Women’s Basketball will be back home on Wednesday, Jan. 14, to take on the WildCats of Randolph College. It will be the team’s Rowdy Royals game, with tip-off from Yoder Arena scheduled for 7 p.m.
— EMU Athletics —
