PC Takes Down Columbia College After an Impressive Defensive Run
 
CLINTON, S.C. – The Presbyterian College Blue Hose women's basketball team (9-6) beat the Columbia College Koalas with a final score of 63-52.
 
The score was tied half way through the third quarter when the Blue Hose held Columbia College scoreless for almost 11 minutes of play, while they went on a 17 point run.
 
COACH SHARP'S THOUGHTS
"Coming out in the third quarter we went on a tear, we had a bunch of stops in a row and we were able to free ourselves up offensively. We started moving the ball around and looking more like ourselves. That is when we got our lead and we built some momentum from there."
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Quarter – Bryanna Brady won the tip for the Blue Hose and followed up by taking the first basket of the game. After some back and forth Mara Neira hit a three-point shot followed by a few more points from Brady to put the score at 15-6. The Koalas scored the next eight points to cut Presbyterian's lead to five with a score of 17-12. Brady ended Columbia's streak before both teams hit three-point shots. The Koalas scored one last layup to end the first quarter with a score of 20-19.
 
Second Quarter – After four points from the opponent and a three pointer from Christina Kline, we saw the first tie of the game at 23 points apiece. After a scoreless two minutes of play, Brady ended the dry spell with two made foul shots. After another two minutes of no scoring, Columbia took a three-point basket to take their first lead of the game with a score of 26-25. Brady was able to take back the one-point lead with a layup followed by two more points from Núria Cunill to extend the Blue Hose lead to three points. The Koalas scored the next five points which gave them a two-point lead with a score of 31-29 until a pair of free throws from Cunill tied it back up at 31 to send us into halftime.
 
Third Quarter – The second half began with a pair of three-point baskets from each side to push the tie to 37 points apiece. A layup from Tilda Sjokvist put PC ahead by two, until a pair of free throws from the other side kept it tied. The Blue Hose scored 15 of the next 17 points, after holding the Koalas to nothing in the second half of the third quarter. This gave them a 13-point lead with a score of 54-41 at the end of the third quarter.
 
Fourth Quarter – Ashley Carrillo scored the first basket of the fourth quarter with 8:16 left to play. After more than two minutes of scoreless play, Brady took another layup to bring Presbyterian's lead to 17 with a score of 58-41. The Koalas scored their first two points of the fourth quarter after a pair of free throws with under four minutes of play. A three-point play from Natalie Herrin put the Blue Hose ahead by 10 points. Columbia was able to pick up the last nine points of the game, but it wasn't enough to stop the Blue Hose from securing a 63-52 victory.
 
NOTABLES

• Bryanna Brady scored a new season-high of 27 points.
• Nuria Cunill came down with 17 rebounds to set a new career-high.
• The Blue Hose recorded 31 rebounds in the first half and finished with 51.
• Presbyterian held the Koalas to zero points from 5:11 in the third quarter to 3:53 in the fourth quarter.

 
UP NEXT
The Blue Hose begin Big South Conference play starting with a game here in Templeton against the Charleston Southern Buccaneers on Wednesday, January 3 at 6:30 p.m.