Jolene Kratz (Telford, Pa./Christopher Dock) tipped in the winning basket as time expired as the Eastern Mennonite University women's basketball team edged out Roanoke College, 57-55, Friday night in the Bast Center.

The Royals improve to 19-5 overall and 15-4 in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference while Roanoke falls to 14-10 overall and 12-7 in the conference.

EMU was led by sophomore guard Ebony Dennis (Baltimore, Md./Western) who had a team high 16 points along with eight rebounds and four steals. Freshman guard Brittany Snyder (Raphine, Va./Riverheads) scored 13 points off the bench for the Lady Royals who take the season series from the Maroons.

Erin Hanson led the Maroons with a double double as she had 13 points and 13 rebounds in the loss.

The two teams battled for possession throughout the majority of the game with neither team able to build a leader larger than five points in the first half. Roanoke held a four point advantage with 10:11 on the clock following two free throws by Jordan Gholson with EMU then responding and building a five point lead thanks to a trey by freshman guard Addie Bashorun (Manassas, Va./Brentsville District). The Maroons fought back to tie the game and eventually take a slim one point edge into the half with the home team shooting only 20 percent (7-of-34) from the field with EMU also shooting a meager 29 percent (8-of-27).

Dennis had nine points in the half with Kratz and junior forward Carolyn Riley (Warrenton, Va./Liberty-Bealeton) adding another four points.

The second half was an almost mirror image of the first with EMU and Roanoke continuing to battle. The Lady Royals were up to the task in this half as the team shot 52 percent from the floor, making 13-of-25 attempts as they pulled ahead by two points with 18 ticks left in the game. Following a Roanoke timeout, the Maroons charged down the court with Hanson getting the tying bucket on a layup with the clock showing only eight seconds remaining. EMU had one last attempt before heading into a possible overtime as Dennis drove down the court only to see her layup roll off the side of the rim. As the ball started to fall off the side of the rim Kratz was able to grab the loose board and tip the ball back into the hoop as time expired to give the Lady Royals the road victory.

The put back by the senior center marks the second time this season Kratz has been able to follow a missed bucket with a tip in of her own as she gave EMU the eventual win over Virginia Wesleyan back on January 29 under the same set of circumstances. She finished the game against the Maroons with nine points and six rebounds.

The Lady Royals will wrap up the 2007-08 season on the road as they travel to Virginia Wesleyan College on Saturday, February 23, for a 4 p.m. match up with the Marlins.