CLINTON, S.C. - The Presbyterian College women's basketball team welcomed more than 1,000 students from area schools on Tuesday to watch the Blue Hose earn a convincing win over visiting Columbia College, 92-45.
The Blue Hose improve to 5-4 on the year, their best start since the 2005-06 season. Columbia College moves to 4-9.
PC's 92 points mark the most in a game since the team posted 94 against USC Upstate on December 17, 2006, thanks to a season-high 53.8 percent shooting performance against the Fighting Koalas on Tuesday. The team's 50 points in the first half also set a new season best.
Five members of the Blue Hose scored in double figures, led by Karlee Taylor's (Asheville, N.C.) 12 points on a game-high four three-pointers. Kristen Stevens (Pickerington, Ohio), Devin Fothergill (Somerset, Ky.) and Dria David (Lawrenceville, Ga.) each scored 11 and Shonda Burnside (Gray Court, S.C.) added 10. Every player who appeared in the game for PC scored at least five points.
Freshman Noelle Carter (Neptune, N.J.) scored a career-high six points and Megan Schaaf (Ellicott City, Md.) set a new career best with eight. Olivia Towers-Solis (Dacula, Ga.) also set a new high-water mark for the season with six points.
The Blue Hose outrebounded the Fighting Koalas 54-30 and received 48 points from the bench.
Burnside lead all players in rebounds, with eight, and 10 members of the Blue Hose grabbed at least three rebounds on the day.
Mariah Pietrowski (Elizabethton, Tenn.) hit a free throw early in the second half to score her 700th career point, becoming only the second player in PC's Division I history to reach that plateau. Her six points move her 19 away from tying Amanda Mills' school Division I scoring record of 722 points.
PC raced off to its best start of the season, going up 6-4 in the first minute and a half and then scoring 32 unanswered points. The Blue Hose held Columbia College without a point for 10:13 during the run. Taylor knocked down three three-pointers and Fothergill scored eight points in the first half to help the Blue Hose to a 38-4 lead 9:05 before halftime.
The home side didn't stop there, however, as Schaaf converted two layups and Fothergill added another to extend the lead to 44-7 with a little over five minutes to go in the opening half.
The Fighting Koalas closed the half with nine more points but PC took a 50-16 lead into the locker room at halftime.
PC continued its strong play in the second stanza, opening a 40-point lead on a Chelsea Parker (Asheville, N.C.) free throw to give the Blue Hose a 61-21 advantage.
Columbia College knocked down 13 field goals in the second but PC's 50-percent shooting in the stanza proved too much for the Fighting Koalas.
The Blue Hose went up by 47 with 7:57 remaining on a Carter jumper, and the freshman knocked down another with 58 seconds to go to restore the 47-point lead and put a bow on the win, 92-45.
PC returns to action on Friday night with a home contest against Montreat. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.
