CLINTON, S.C. - The Presbyterian College women's basketball team used a Division I-era record eight blocks and career days from Chelsea Parker (Asheville, N.C.) and Shonda Burnside (Gray Court, S.C.) to grab the season's first Big South Conference victory with a win over Gardner-Webb on Saturday, 54-43.
The Blue Hose improve to 7-8 overall and 1-3 in the league. Gardner Webb falls to 2-13, 1-4.
Mariah Pietrowski (Elizabethton, Tenn.) led PC with a game-high 15 points. Parker, in her first start of the season, set a new career high with 12 points, surpassing her previous-best nine points at Radford on January 18, 2010.
Burnside cleaned up on the glass, grabbing a career-high 12 rebounds to lead all players. Her previous high of 11 also came against the Runnin' Bulldogs on January 25, 2010. Burnside also dished out four assists.
Karlee Taylor (Asheville, N.C.) chipped in 12 points and Dria David (Lawrenceville, Ga.) added 10.
Gardner-Webb opened up a five point lead early in the first half, 11-6 with 14:07 to go before intermission. Taylor and Pietrowski took over for PC, scoring nine and 11 points, respectively, in a 25-7 run the remainder of the half to lead the Blue Hose to the 13-point, 31-18 lead at the break.
PC started and ended the run with jumpers by Pietrowski as the Runnin' Bulldogs offense went without a field goal from 14:07 to the 7:49 mark when Jessica Heilig hit one of two free throws. PC scored nine unanswered during the stretch.
Gardner-Webb cut the deficit to seven on several occasions in the second half but every time the Blue Hose had an answer to keep the Bulldogs at bay for the first 16 minutes of the final stanza.
PC broke the 10-point barrier again with two free throws by Pietrowski with 4:00 on the clock to make it 48-38. The Blue Hose extended their lead to 13 with 1:39 remaining and held on to win by double-digits, 54-43.
The Blue Hose shot 43.6 percent from the floor (24-55), buoyed by a 48.3 percent performance in the first half. PC also outscored Gardner-Webb in the paint, 30-18, and scored 15 second-chance points. The Blue Hose attempted a season-low six free throws.
PC returns to action on Monday, Jan. 16 at 7 p.m., as the squad hosts UNC Asheville at the Templeton Center. Fans can watch on-line at www.BigSouthSports.com for a nominal fee.
