WOMEN'S BASKETBALL NEWS

LINCOLN MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY

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Sports Release                                                                                                               December 6, 2006

Emotions Pour Out In Lady Splitter Win Over Brevard

BREVARD, NC – Still reeling from one of the most trying weeks in Lady Railsplitter basketball history, the Lincoln Memorial University women overcame the adversity they have been dealing with and the emotions that each has been going through over the past several days by defeating Brevard College Tuesday evening 71-59. (Box score)

On Saturday evening the father of LMU head women’s basketball coach Roger Vannoy (Jay Vannoy) was killed in a tragic car accident.  The incident sent shock waves through not only the team, but the entire LMU community.  On Sunday afternoon, the team took another hit when it was announced that Lady Railsplitter junior Heather Benton’s father had passed away due to a terminal illness.

That being said, usually when an individual or in this case a group of individuals are faced with a trying situation one of two things happens.  Either they come apart or they feed off of the matter and use it to fuel their effort to overcome the adversity.  Such was the case for the Lady Railsplitters on Tuesday night.

LMU took the attack directly at Brevard, spawning their offense from their defensive effort to take an 18 point lead into the locker room at the half.  Despite a second half run by the Tornados, the LMU women rallied in the final minutes of the game to come away with the thirteen point victory over BC to improve to 5-1 on the year.

Senior Madeline Richards (Floyds Knobs, IN) paced the Lady Railsplitters in scoring on six of seven shooting from the field, including two of three baskets from behind the arc and three of four from the free throw line for 17 points.  Senior Latoya Johnson (Miami, FL) also had possibly the best game of her LMU career by notching 16 points and pulling 7 rebounds, while junior Kate Fane (Sterling, IL) and freshman Andi Winney (Yorktown, IN) each contributed 11 points with Winney also pulling 7 rebounds.

Statistically the Lady Railsplitters dominated the boards pulling 37 rebounds which included 14 offensive boards.  LMU also forced 22 Brevard turnovers, most of which came in the first half of play to help in the winning cause. 

This Saturday the Lady Railsplitters travel to Petersburg, Virginia to take on Virginia State University in one of two remaining non-conference games before the Christmas break.  The game with VSU is set for a 2:00 p.m. tip-off with pre-game coverage beginning at 1:45 on the Lincoln Memorial University Sports Network.