WINCHESTER, Va. - Bridgewater College took an 18-point lead into the fourth quarter Wednesday night and then held off a furious Shenandoah rally to escape with a key 67-65 ODAC road victory over the Hornets.

With the victory, the Eagles continued their climb toward the top of the ODAC standings. Wins Wednesday by Washington and Lee, Roanoke and Bridgewater, along with Emory & Henry's upset overtime loss at Hollins, leaves four teams with two losses in conference play. W&L is 7-2 with the Eagles, Roanoke and E&H close behind with 6-2 records.

The Eagles outscored the Hornets 19-8 over the final seven minutes of the opening quarter to open a 25-14 lead.

Trailing 6-3, Bridgewater tied the score on a 3-pointer by Mary Ruth Shifflett. The Eagles took the lead on a layup by Ahlia Moone and Nina Novosel added a 3-pointer to put the Eagles ahead 11-6.

Bridgewater scored the final eight points of the quarter, turning a three-point lead into a double digit cushion. Madison Baum and Moone sandwiched buckets around a free throw by Jasmyn Pierce, givng Bridgewater a 22-14 lead. Moone ended the first-quarter scoring with a 3-pointer for a 25-14 Eagles lead.

The Eagles opened the second quarter with two foul shots by Moone and a 3-pointer by Pierce to stretch the lead to 30-14. 

Shenandoah trimmed the margin to 10 points with 2:47 left in the half, but the Eagles ran off nine straight to take their biggest lead of the game. Two free throws by Mocarski and a jumper by Moone pushed the lead to 14 points. Darr knocked down a 3-pointer and Moone hit two foul shots for a 46-27 lead with 33 seconds left in the half. Shenandoah's Sarah Donley hit from long range with 14 seconds left and the half ended with the Eagles holding a 46-30 lead.

The teams traded points for most of the third quarter. The Hornets could get no closer than 15 points and the third quarter ended with the Eagles holding a 59-41 lead.

A bucket by Baum with 9:29 left in the final quarter kept the lead at 18 points, 61-43, but then the Eagles went ice cold from the field. The Bridgewater drought lasted more than six minutes and the Hornets reeled off 15 unanswered points to pull within three, 61-58.

Moone snapped the long drought with a jumper with 3:00 remaining, giving Bridgewater a 63-58 lead. The Hornets once again pulled to within three when Ragan Johnson hit two foul shots, making the score 63-60. Bridgewater then executed a solid halfcourt set as Baum fed Mocarski inside for a layup to push the lead back to five, 65-60, with 1:11 on the clock.

Shenandoah's Jordan Sondrol kept the Hornets in contention when she drained a long 3-pointer to make it a two-point game, 65-63, with less than a minute to play. The Eagles then worked the shot clock, but Shifflett's baseline jumper was short. Mocarski, however, came up with a huge offensive rebound and scored with 28 seconds to go, giving the Eagles a 67-63 lead.

Shifflett then came away with a big steal with 10 seconds left, giving the Eagles a crucial defensive stop. Moone missed two free throws with five seconds left, but Johnson's layup at the buzzer was too little, too late as the Eagles captured the key conference victory.

Moone came off the bench to lead the Eagles with 20 points. Mocarski posted a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds and Darr hit four 3-pointers to also finish with 12 points. Baum added eight assists and turned the ball over just once in 32 minutes of action and Shifflett chipped in with eight points and six steals.

Sondrol paced the Hornets with 15 points while Johnson added 14 points and 12 rebounds.

The Eagles, now 7-8 overall after starting off the season with a 0-6 record, are back in action Saturday as part of a doubleheader at Nininger Hall. Bridgewater will host Hollins following the completion of the Bridgewater men's game with Hampden-Sydney. Game time for the women's game is set for approximately 4:30 p.m.