The waiting game has ended for Randolph-Macon women’s basketball coach Carroll LaHaye.

LaHaye’s second attempt to capture her 500th career victory ended in sweet satisfaction Friday night when her Yellow Jackets pulled away in the second half to defeat Roanoke 82-70 in Crenshaw Gym.

LaHaye, 500-289, is the second-winningest coach in ODAC women’s basketball history. Fittingly, the ODAC’s winningest coach, Roanoke’s Susan Dunagan, was on the opposing bench.

“I didn’t think it would be this emotional,” LaHaye said. “I didn’t think I’d be this emotional. I guess I shocked myself a little bit. But so many people from my past were here to share this tonight, so many players from as far back as the 1980s.”

People from her present were there, too. Randolph-Macon president Robert Lindgren presented LaHaye with the game ball during an impromptu postgame ceremony at center court. A family of four sat high in the bleachers behind the R-MC bench. Each wore a white shirt with a large black-and-lemon symbol fastened to the front. When the group was properly aligned, the symbols delivered this message: 500!

“It means a lot, it really does,” LaHaye said. “It’s a big accomplishment, I know that. But all of the people who were here tonight, my players and their parents and the relationships I’ve had a chance to cultivate (in the course of 29-plus seasons in Ashland) — that’s what’s really important. That’s really what life is all about.”

The milestone wasn’t reached without a struggle. The Yellow Jackets, off to an uncharacteristically slow start as they attempt to sort out roles and responsibilities, needed three tries to secure their coach’s 499th victory and two to earn her 500th.
They trailed for much of Friday night’s opening half before settling into an efficient and ultimately lethal offensive rhythm.

R-MC (6-7, 4-4) put its coach’s accomplishment under lock and key with one of its finest offensive spurts of this or any season. Between 7:12 and 3:08, the Yellow Jackets harvested points on nine of 10 possessions.

Senior forward Molly Brown led R-MC with 15 points. Taylor Wieczorek, a senior post player, delivered 14 points and eight rebounds. Maggie Roy, a senior guard from Mills
Godwin High School, scored 14 points. Sarah Parsons, a freshman guard from J.R. Tucker, added 13.

“We wanted so much to do this for her,” Roy said. “She’s an amazing coach and she cares so much for us and she’s done so much to help us grow, not just as players, but as people, too. This has been on our minds the whole season. In the huddle before the game tonight, everyone was saying, ‘We’ve got to win this for Coach.’ ”

Perhaps the burden was too heavy. R-MC played at an overheated pace for much of the first half, committing 12 turnovers and shooting 35 percent. Not until the final minute before intermission did the Yellow Jackets move ahead to stay.

“Once we stopped thinking about it and started to just relax and play basketball, we were OK,” Roy said.

Said LaHaye: “I regret that. I just want them — the seniors, especially — to have fun and enjoy the season. I wish I could have done something or said something to make them just let it go.”

Senior post player Nicci Moats led the Maroons (1-9, 1-5) with 25 points and 14 rebounds.

ROANOKE — Hankins 11, Lemke 1,
Gwin 16, Dellahunt5, Gadell 0, Duggins
8, McKee 2, Garst 2, Ward 0, Sullenberger
0, Moats 25. Totals 27 10-14
70.
RANDOLPH-MACON — Brown 15,
Asay 5, Wieczorek 14, Roy 14, Cortina
8, Dulaney 2, Young 2, Phelps 3, Parsons
13, Mills 4, Sharman 2. Totals 30
18-21 82.
3-point goals — R: Hankins 3,
Gwin 2, Duggins; A: Roy 2, Brown,
Asay.
Halftime — Randolph-Macon 31- 27.