February 7, 2008

Boxscore

LAURINBURG, N.C.—Senior center Jessy Perkins (Goldsboro, N.C.) scored a season-high 14 points for host St. Andrews Presbyterian College but junior guard Marie Marquez (Greenville, S.C.) scored a game-high 15 points to lead visiting Belmont Abbey College to a 60-38 Conference Carolinas women’s basketball victory on Thursday evening in Harris Court.

The Crusaders improved to 16-6 overall and 11-4 in the league while the Lady Knights fell to 5-16 and 4-10.

The Abbey scored the first seven points of the game and never trailed. A senior Sarah Reese (Sanford, N.C.) three-pointer gave the Crusaders their largest lead of the first half at 22 points (34-12) and Belmont Abbey maintained a 38-19 advantage at halftime. The Crusaders continued to build on their lead in the second half and a junior LaKesha Bell (Gastonia, N.C.) basket doubled-up the score, 56-28, with less than seven minutes left and the Abbey rolled to the 22-point victory.

The Crusaders, who made 16 steals in the game including six Marquez, scored 27 points off 27 SAPC turnovers. BAC also controlled the boards with a 47-38 rebounding advantage.

Belmont Abbey shot 35.8-percent from the field and 77.8% from the free throw line compared to 30.0% accuracy from the floor and 40.0% from the charity stripe by the Knights.

Marquez finished the game with 15 points on 6-of-12 shooting while adding six steals and four assists. Freshman Asha Hardaway (Greensboro, N.C.) had a game-high 10 rebounds while just missing a double-double with eight points. Sophomore Courtney Naquin (Virginia Beach, Va.) added eight points and six rebounds.

Perkins connected on six of her seven shot attempts en route to her team-high 14 points. Perkins also had six rebounds.

Senior April Johnson (McColl, S.C.) had a team-high eight rebounds, six points, and three blocks. Junior Desiree Jones (Tulsa, Okla.) chipped in with seven points while senior Erika Thompson (Kalamazoo, Mich.) supplied six points, five rebounds, three assists, and two steals.

St. Andrews next visits No. 17 nationally ranked Anderson University in a Conference Carolinas showdown. The Lady Knights take on the Trojans, who are also ranked No. 6 in East Region, on Saturday afternoon in Anderson, S.C. with first tip slated for 4:00 p.m. Later that day, Belmont Abbey hosts league rival Queens University of Charlotte at 5:30 p.m.