CLINTON, S.C. – A 20-2 run to start the game and a stellar effort inside helped the Presbyterian College women's basketball team grab a 55-41 victory over the visiting UNC Asheville Bulldogs on Thursday night at the Templeton Center.
PC improves to 5-16 on the year and 3-9 in the Big South. The Blue Hose stay at home to host Winthrop on Saturday at 2 p.m. UNC Asheville falls to 9-12, 6-6 and play at Gardner-Webb on Saturday at 3 p.m.
The Blue Hose outscored the Bulldogs by a 32-10 margin in the paint and held the visitors to 25.9 percent shooting on the night. Asheville's 41 points mark a new season-low for the squad and a season-low for Big South opponents against PC.
Sherece Smith (Clemson, S.C.) led all players with 18 points, one of three Blue Hose in double figures with Keyonna Allen's (Forest Park, Ga.) 12 and Karlee Taylor's (Asheville, N.C.) 11. Aianna Kelly (Newport News, Va.) grabbed a game-high seven rebounds.
Leah Wormack led the Bulldogs with nine points.
The Blue Hose rattled off an epic 20-2 run to start the game. The stretch saw PC score 17 straight points—including eight from Smith and six from Allen—and the home side held the Bulldogs without a point for 10:32 of the opening period.
Rebecca Walker (Snellville, Ga.) and Allen each scored four straight points during the run, which put the Bulldogs in a hole they could not dig out of.
The Bulldogs attempted to chip away at the lead, but PC answered with two straight three-pointers to make it a 28-12 score in the final media timeout of the half.
From there, each team scored two more points as PC took a 30-14 lead into the locker room at halftime. Asheville's point total marked the fewest for the Bulldogs in a half this season.
PC limited Asheville to 23.1 percent shooting in the first half and forced eight turnovers while winning the rebound battle, 23-15. At the break, Smith led all players with 10 points while Taylor used the long-distance shot to score eight in the half.
The second half featured more strong play from the Blue Hose as their lead stayed around 20 points early in the frame. Smith led with eight points in the second half.
Hustle plays allowed PC to keep its sizable lead. One series allowed Noelle Carter (Neptune, N.J.) to make a slick backdoor cut for an uncontested layup inside. Another effort from Kelly saw the freshman track down an offensive rebound and swing the ball to Smith, who found Allen inside for a layup and foul.
Megan Schaaf (Ellicott City, Md.) ran a well-executed pick-and-roll with Walker to get free for two more points in the paint.
Shonese Jones hit two straight three-pointers to pull Asheville within 14 heading into the final media timeout. PC responded with four straight points and UNC Asheville pulled within 13 in the final minute, but could not overcome PC's early lead.
Prior to tip-off, the team honored senior guard Karlee Taylor for scoring her 1,000th career point two weeks ago against Campbell.
