ELKINS, W. Va. – The Kentucky Wesleyan College women's basketball team clinched a spot in the 2016-17 Great Midwest Athletic Conference tournament on Saturday afternoon with a 67-53 win over Davis & Elkins. The Panthers improve to 16-6 overall and 6-5 in conference play while the Senators fall to 17-6 on the season and 7-4 in the G-MAC.
The Senators scored the first basket of the game to take a 3-0 lead but six unanswered points from the Panthers put them ahead 6-3. A tight defensive game held the Panthers to a steady four point lead throughout the first quarter. In the closing seconds of the first quarter, Bria Wright fought hard for a defensive rebound and went on to score a lay up to give Kentucky Wesleyan an 18-16 lead after one.
The two teams went toe-to-toe in the second frame, each scoring 10 points. During the first half, the Panthers shot 33.33% from field goal range, to Davis & Elkins' 26.9%, to take a 28-26 lead to the break.
The Senators opened the third quarter with a run of their own to jump out to a six point lead, their largest and last of the game. Jasmine Shelt and Brittany Wells knocked in a pair of three pointers, followed by a lay up from Jennifer Walker-Crawford to regain the lead. The two teams were even again in the third quarter, each scoring 19 points and allowing Kentucky Wesleyan to maintain their two-point lead entering the final frame.
Resilient defense from the Panthers held the Senators to just eight points in the fourth quarter, shooting 15.4% from the field. At the 6:49 mark, Davis & Elkins pulled within one but a 9-1 run from the Panthers put them ahead 58-49 with just over two minutes remaining. A technical foul on Davis & Elkins allowed the Kentucky Wesleyan to score four free throws, taking an 11-point lead. Wells and Sydney Morabito each drained two free throws in the closing minute to take the 67-53 win.
Bria Wright finished with her fourth double-double in six games, finishing with 10 points and a team-high 14 rebounds. Wells led all scorers with 19 points after shooting six-for-seven from the free throw line, and grabbed three steals. Erin Dorn tabbed 14 points while dishing out two assists. Morabito scored 11 points and grabbed four rebounds. Walker-Crawford scored six points and grabbed two steals. Keelie Lamb led Kentucky Wesleyan with four assists while scoring two points
Kentucky Wesleyan returns home next week for a pair of Great Midwest Athletic Conference games, hosting Cedarville on Thursday Feb. 16 at 5:30 pm CT. Senior day is on Saturday Feb. 18 with a 1 pm game against Ohio Valley.
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