CLINTON, S.C. – Freshman Cortney Storey (Fayetteville, Tenn.) scored a Presbyterian College Division I record 27 points as the Blue Hose blew past visiting Coastal Carolina on Tuesday night in the team's Play 4Kay Pink Out game, 78-56.
Storey, who earned Big South Freshman of the Week honors just a day before, went 10-for-11 from the floor. Her 27 points surpass the previous record of 26, shared by Mariah Pietrowski (March 5, 2012 vs. Charleston Southern) and Amanda Mills (December 18, 2008 vs. Stetson) and marks the most for a PC women's basketball player since Amy Jones scored 38 against USC Upstate on December 17, 2006. Storey's 10 field goals also tie a school Division I record, shared by four others.
PC's win moved the Blue Hose to 13-12 on the year and 8-8 in the Big South Conference. PC next hosts Liberty at 5 p.m. on Saturday in the first half of a Blue Hose hoops doubleheader, with the men hosting Radford at 7:30 p.m. Coastal Carolina falls to 10-14 overall, 4-11 in League play and next hosts Longwood on Saturday at 1 p.m.
PC led by 28 with 4:05 to go and shot 53.6 percent from the floor to sweep the Chanticleers in the season series. Rebecca Walker (Snellville, Ga.) added 10 points and three players each added eight. PC outrebounded the visitors 34 to 26, with three sharing the rebound lead at five apiece.
AJ Jordan led Coastal Carolina with 16 points.
Storey and the Blue Hose built a double-digit lead in the first half with a dominant display, going on a 25-3 run that lasted more than 13 minutes to lead 35-21 at halftime.
Storey scored 19 points in the first half, surpassing the career-high 18 that she scored on Saturday. The rookie went 8-for-9 from the floor in the opening stanza, including a perfect 3-for-3 from long range.
The freshman hit a three that tied the game at 9-9, and PC never looked back. The trey came as part of a 14-0 run for the Blue Hose that held Coastal Carolina scoreless for nearly five and a half minutes.
The Blue Hose smothered the Chanticleers for another scoring drought that spanned over seven minutes—all told, PC led by 19 points with 2:27 to go. The Chanticleers put seven straight points together down the stretch, but two free throws from Keyonna Allen in the final minute put PC ahead by 14 at the break. Elizabeth Landers (Greenville, S.C.) tallied six points in the first half as well.
PC did not let up in the second half, coming out of halftime with a 10-2 run to stomp on the gas. The home side's lead swelled to 25 on a Noelle Carter (Neptune, N.J.) free throw at the 15:28 mark. The edge hovered around 25 before a nearly four-minute-long Coastal scoreless stretch helped PC take a 68-41 lead.
Kaycie Reffner drained a three at the top of the key with four minutes to go for a 71-43 lead, the team's largest of the game.
