DANVILLE, Ky. – Centre women's basketball kicked off the final weekend of the regular season in Alumni Gym, where the Colonels hosted the Berry Vikings. Behind a career effort from Bailey Rucker and strong interior defense, the Colonels topped the Vikings by a score of 70-57.
 
GAME HIGHLIGHTS
- Centre dominated the first period defensively, forcing the Vikings into turnovers and challenging Berry's shots in the paint. The Colonels used dribble penetration to set up three-pointers by Payton Herold and Rucker, and they ran a fast break to perfection with a Natalie Duggins layup on the final play of the quarter to take a 14-3 lead.
- Berry clawed back into the game in the second quarter thanks to their second unit, who played the entire period and forced several steals, eventually taking the lead at 23-20. Following a timeout, the Colonels regrouped. Emma Rose Vincent found Duggins for a layup to tie the score, and then did it again on the next play to put Centre back in front. Presley Chirico nailed two free throws to cap off the 7-0 run and the Colonels took a 27-23 lead going into halftime.
- In the third quarter, Berry continued the aggressive play that got them the lead in the second quarter and quickly pulled ahead 31-27. Centre responded with a 9-0 burst as a Herold three was sandwiched in between bombs by Mackenzie Marovich and Rachel Jennings to put the Colonels up by five. Katelyn Stiltner negated a Berry three with a traditional three-point play to keep momentum on the side of the Colonels.
- Halfway through the quarter, Rucker reentered the game and produced a personal 7-0 run by getting in the paint and knocking down tough shots, including an and-1 near the end of the shot clock as Centre led 46-37 with one quarter to play.
- The Colonels met every Berry counterpunch with one of their own in the fourth quarter, as Jennings snuck into the paint and laid it in to give Centre a 54-43 advantage. The Vikings caught fire from long range in the closing minutes and cut the lead to 62-57, but Centre held Berry at bay from the free throw line and did not allow them to score the rest of the way.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Rucker led all players with a career high 20 points to go with four rebounds and two assists.
- Centre held a 37-24 advantage on the glass, with Duggins grabbing a game high eight rebounds.
- The Colonels had one of their best performances of the season at the free throw line, going 20-23 for the game to help ice it away in the fourth quarter.
- Playing in her first game in nearly a month, Jennings came off the bench to score eight points in ten minutes
- Seven different Centre players were credited with blocked shots.
 
NEXT UP
The Colonels will wrap up the 2021-22 regular season on Sunday as they celebrate Senior Day and host the Oglethorpe Stormy Petrels.