CENTRAL, S.C. – Winning road games in conference play is never easy, and the King University women's basketball team learned that on Tuesday evening at Southern Wesleyan University. The Tornado got off to a hot start, the Warriors came roaring back with a big second quarter that led to an 83-71 victory over the Tornado.
THE BASICS
FINAL: Southern Wesleyan 83, King 71
LOCATION: Tysinger Gymnasium; Central, S.C.
RECORDS: King 10-8, 9-6 Conference Carolinas; Southern Wesleyan 3-15, 3-12 Conference Carolinas
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Period
- Desiree Bates got the Tornado off to a hot start with the first two baskets of the contest.
- She added a triple before Trinity Lee connected from long range, giving Kin ga 10-4 lead four minutes into the contest.
- Lee then connected on two more triples before adding a layup in the final minute, giving her 11 points in the opening period.
- Alexa Gramann capped the Tornado scoring with an offensive rebound and layup as King led 24-19 going to the second period.
Second Period
- The second 10 minutes belonged to the Warriors as the outscored King 26-10 in the frame.
- Of the 10 points for King, eight of them came from Gramann who registered 12 points in the opening half.
- Southern Wesleyan used an 11-0 run to gain a 35-28 advantage midway through the stanza.
- Gramann then answered with back-to-back layups, and she later pulled King within 37-34 with another layup.
- However, the Warriors scored the final eight points of the period to take a 45-34 lead into the break.
Third Period
- The Tornado tried to mount a comeback, but each time the Warriors had an answer.
- Brianna Dunbar drilled a trifecta, pulling King within 50-41, but Southern Wesleyan rolled off five straight points.
- The Warriors then held the lead in double figures the rest of the quarter, extending the advantage to 65-49 going to the fourth quarter with a three-point basket in the final seconds.
Fourth Period
- Southern Wesleyan stretched their lead to 71-53 in the first half of the fourth quarter before King started to chip away.
- Back-to-back three-point baskets from Lee and Ryleigh Fritz pulled King back within 12, but the Warriors responded with a three-point play.
- The Tornado deficit grew back to 16 points, but King had one last run.
- King scored six straight points, capped by a Fritz layup to pull King within 79-69 in the final two minutes.
- It wasn't enough, however, as the Warriors held on for the 83-71 victory.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- King started out shooting 55.6 percent in the first period but shot below 30 percent in the middle two periods.
- King finished the game with a 37.7 field goal percentage.
- Lee led King with 19 points to go along with five rebounds.
- Gramann followed with 12 points and eight rebounds.
- Dunbar chipped in with 12 points and Bates added 11 points.
FOR THE FOES
- The Warriors shots a blistering 49.2 percent from the floor, including an impressive 71.4 percent in the second period.
- Kayla Garrett led the Warriors with 19 points and 11 rebounds.
- Nakia Hooks added 11 points and 11 rebounds.
- Brittany Mack added 18 points while Tristen Berry added 12 points.
- Shelby Glance was the final Warrior in double figures with 10 points.
UP NEXT
- King stays on the road to take on Erskine College on Friday night. Tipoff from Due West, S.C. is scheduled for 5:00 p.m.
- Southern Wesleyan hosts Bob Jones University on Wednesday night.
