CANTON, Ohio – The No. 7-seeded Kentucky Wesleyan women's basketball team was defeated 63-52 by the No. 2-seeded Malone Pioneers in a thrilling G-MAC Quarterfinals battle Tuesday evening.
Wesleyan led by 15 at halftime but could not quite hang on against Erin Kaufman (23 points) and the Pioneers.
Wesleyan began the postseason strong by scoring the first 11 points of the game. Four different Panthers scored during that stretch, including Iratxe Amorrortu Sainz with a three-pointer and a layup.
Malone slowly chipped away over the rest of the opening 10 minutes and trailed by just five at 17-12 after the first quarter.
The second period became a dominant defensive showing for KWC. After Malone scored the first four points, the Panthers went on a 14-0 run over the final seven minutes of the first half to build a 31-16 advantage by the break. Wesleyan's balanced offensive attack continued to pay off with five different Panthers scoring as part of that run.
The game flipped on its head in the third quarter. The Pioneers, behind their raucous home crowd, began the second half on an 11-2 run to force a timeout by head coach Nicole Nieman with Malone trailing by just six at 33-27.
Sisters Myah Montgomery and Avah Montgomery each hit a three-pointer to help KWC maintain a similar lead at 41-34 with two minutes remaining in the period. Malone responded with a 7-0 run to close the third, tying the game at 41 going into the final quarter.
The Pioneers continued leaning on their pressure and a fast pace of play in the fourth. Malone took their first lead of the game at 43-41 on the first possession of the final period and never trailed the rest of the way to stave off the Panthers' upset bid.
Riley Neal led the Wesleyan effort with eight points, eight rebounds, three blocked shots, and a steal. Both Vilborg Jonsdottir and Georgia Acompanado had eight points as well, and the latter added five rebounds and three assists.
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