MACON, Ga. – The Berea College women's basketball team scored a season-high 77 points to extend their winning streak, defeating Wesleyan College (Ga.) 77-34 on Saturday afternoon.
The Mountaineers have won eight straight games, accumulating a 14-3 overall record and a perfect 8-0 in USA South Conference play. The Wolves fall to 0-11 overall and 0-5 in conference action.
Sophomore
Aaliyah Hampton and senior
Bailee Vanover led Berea in scoring, each recording 19 points. Along with her scoring, Vanover collected three steals, and freshmen
Jayden Merriweather shot four-for-eight to total 10 points. As a team, the Mountaineers forced 21 turnovers.
Berea took control right out of the gates, jumping to a 13-0 lead. Hampton and Vanover got the afternoon started as they both scored two quick buckets to get the ball rolling. Merriweather soon followed as she netted a three-pointer to push the lead to seven. Hampton and Vanover each added another score in the paint as the lead hit double-digits with 5:52 left in the first quarter. Berea continued to have the momentum to exit the first quarter, shooting 11-for-17 to take a 23-12 lead heading into the second quarter.
The Mountaineers didn't slow down in the second quarter, outscoring the Wolves 20-5. Berea pushed its lead to 20 with 6:24 left in the half as scores by sophomore
Destiny Combs, freshmen
Kauri McKeithen, Hampton, Vanover, and senior
Destanie Love extended the Mountaineer's lead. The lead grew to as large as 26 as eight different Mountaineers scored in the second quarter to take a 43-17 advantage into halftime.
The tale of the second half was much like the first, as Berea outscored the opposition 34-17 in the last two quarters. Three of the first four shots of the second frame were three-pointers as Hampton hit a pair along with one by Merriweather as the Mountaineers ran away with the contest. As a team, Berea forced the Wolves to shoot 26.9 percent over the final 20 minutes of the game to walk away with a 77-34 victory over Wesleyan.
The Berea College women's basketball team returns to action tomorrow, taking on Agnes Scott (Ga.). Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. in Decatur, Ga.
