BRISTOL, Tenn. – The King University women's basketball team had five players score in double figures Saturday afternoon as they outscored Southern Wesleyan University 30-23 in the second half to pull away and earn their second straight win. The Tornado topped the Warriors 70-60 in their home opener.
THE BASICS
FINAL: King University 70, Southern Wesleyan 60
LOCATION: Student Center Complex; Bristol, Tenn.
RECORDS: King 6-2, 5-1 Conference Carolinas; Southern Wesleyan 1-5, 1-2 Conference Carolinas
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Period
- The Tornado took a little while to get going, as Southern Weleyan jumped out to a 7-0 lead before Brianna Dunbar made a jump shot.
- King cut into the deifict at the free throw line before a Jhayda McKinney basket pulled King within one point.
- King took their first lead of the game with 4:00 left in the first quarter when Ryleigh Fritz made a jumper in the paint, and Desiree Bates added a layup to extend the lead.
- King opened up a six point lead with 2:06 remaining, and ended with a 25-23 lead thanks to a Fritz buzzer beater.
Second Period
- After King scored the first bucket of the quarter, the Warriors hit a pair of free throws to reduce the lead back to two. Alexa Gramann hit a layup to extend the lead to 29-25 with 6:13 remaining in the period.
- The Warriors benefited from an old-fashioned three-point play to cut their deficit to one before Ashley Allen got a steal and fed Dunbar, who hit a fastbreak layup for the Tornado.
- King ended the half on a 9-3 run over the final 2:29, to take a 40-37 lead at the break.
Third Period
- The Warriors evened the score and took a 43-42 lead before King scored six straight points, highlighted by six points from Fritz.
- Leading 48-47, Bates started a Tornado run with a triple before a Fritz layup.
- Bates connected on another trifecta and Dunbar capped the 12-0 run with a pair of free throws to give King a 60-47 lead.
- Southern Wesleyan scored four of the final six point of the quarter as King led 62-51 going to the final period.
Fourth Period
- Bates started the fourth quarter with a basket, giving King their largest lead of the game at 64-51.
- King held that advantage again with three minutes remaining at 70-57 with three minutes remaining before the Warriors connected on a three-point basket.
- Neither team scored for the remainder of the game as King took the contest 70-60.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Fritz and Bates led King with 13 points each. Fritz added six rebounds and four assists.
- Dunbar followed with 12 points and four assists.
- McKinney and Gramann rounded out the Tornado in double figures with 10 points apiece. Gramann added five rebounds.
FOR THE FOES
- Brittany Mack and Tristen Berry led Southern Wesleyan with 11 points each while Lonesha Lee added 10 points.
- Shelby Glance grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds.
UP NEXT
- King stays at home to take on Belmont Abbey College at 12:00 p.m. on Wednesday. The contest can be seen on BTES Power 7, HD 207.
- Southern Wesleyan travels to Erskine College on Wednesday evening.
