ATLANTA  – Centre women's basketball dropped a hard-fought 78-67 contest against Belhaven Monday at Oglethorpe, competing in the TownePlace Suites by Marriott Classic hosted by the Stormy Petrels.
 
The Blazers (7-1) entered the week second in the nation in both steals and turnovers forced per game, and caused the Colonels (3-5) to turn the ball over 30 times. Belhaven also hit a season-best 14 3-pointers and got 34 points from Peyton Papenburg.
 
Centre had three in double figures, led by Kat Wilson's 19 points. Mikayla Fee turned in a 13 point, 11 rebound double-double, while Wehby finished with 10 points, eight rebounds, six assists and three steals.
 
HIGHLIGHTS
- Belhaven used an early 5-for-7 effort from the field – including three 3-pointers – to jump out to a 17-7 lead midway through the first quarter.
- Madison Marcum and Abigail Wehby hit consecutive threes later in the period to help trim the deficit, and Wilson closed with five straight points to make it 22-19 after 10 minutes.
- All told, the Colonels reeled off a 21-5 run in under six minutes of game time, taking a 28-24 lead after Fee's 3-pointer early in the second quarter.
- Momentum swung back toward the Blazers before the half, however, as Belhaven took a 40-33 lead into the break on a 16-5 stretch across the rest of the second period.
- Centre blitzed Belhaven out of the intermission, as Wilson and Ellen Hicks combined for a 9-0 run to regain the lead for the Colonels.
- Like they did in the second quarter, though, the Blazers countered and stormed back on the strength of a 17-6 run.  
- The Colonels pulled within 64-61 at the under-five media break in the fourth quarter, but the Blazers drained three 3-pointers in a row to quickly take a 73-63 advantage and put the game out of reach.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- The game featured nine lead changes and three ties.
- Belhaven finished with 30 points off Centre's 30 turnovers, and had 24 more shot attempts than the Colonels. The Blazers matched their season average with 19 steals.   
- The double-double was Fee's first of the season. Her season-high 13 points came on five field goals, and she added a block.
- Wilson has scored exactly 19 points in four of the last five outings. She was an even 50% from the field and recorded seven boards.
- Centre limited Belhaven to under 30% (23-79) overall and just 9 of 45 from inside the 3-point arc. The Blazers were 14 of 34 from long range and held a plus-nine edge in made free throws, however.
- The Colonels were held to only two 3-pointers in the second half after knocking down six in the first. Overall, Centre shot a lofty 46% (25-55), its second best mark of the season.
 
UP NEXT
Centre closes action in Atlanta tomorrow (Tuesday), taking on LeTourneau at 2 p.m. ET.