Box Score
Once the Kentucky Wesleyan College women's basketball team got going, it was hard to stop.
Karly Rhoads scored 19 points and dished out seven assists, T'Essence Phelps had 14 points to go with 14 rebounds, and the Panthers beat Ohio Valley, 79-44, in the first round of the G-MAC Tournament on Thursday at Trojan Fieldhouse in Nashville.
It always feels good to win in March," KWC co-head coach Caleb Nieman said. "It doesn't matter where or who you're playing against."
OVU held an 8-6 lead after the first five minutes of play, but the Panthers (19-8) responded with a 14-2 run to take a 10-point lead with 11:26 left in the half. KWC never trailed again and added to its advantage throughout the first period, eventually securing a 50-25 lead on Rhoads' layup with 10 seconds left before halftime.
The Fighting Scots (8-19) struggled against what Nieman called "a complete defensive game." They shot just 28.4 percent from the field for the game and scored only 19 points after the break. KWC also won the battle of the boards 55-34.
Ghameerah McCullers led OVU with 15 points, and Kayla Parsley pulled down 15 rebounds.
Jordanne Gambill added 12 points and six rebounds for KWC. Kourtney Rhoads and Erin Dorn also grabbed six rebounds. Jennifer Walker-Crawford and Jade Mills-Harris came off the bench to record four of the Purple and White's 23 assists.
The No. 3-seeded Lady Panthers will play No. 2 seed Cedarville in the G-MAC Tournament semifinals today at 7:30 p.m.
