DANVILLE, Ky. – The Centre women's basketball team used a stifling defense in the third quarter to break open a close game and defeat the Oglethorpe Stormy Petrels 67-52 on Senior Day in Alumni Gym.
GAME HIGHLIGHTS
- Trailing 7-2 early,
Bailey Rucker entered the game and made an immediate impact, scoring five straight points before assisting on a three-pointer by
Payton Herold at the end of the shot clock to put Centre on top for the first time. Herold beat the buzzer again following a
Natalie Duggins rebound and kickout to tie the score at 14-14 after one quarter.
- The Colonels held the Petrels at bay in the early stages of the second quarter as
Presley Chirico connected on consecutive midrange jumpers. Oglethorpe came back on the strength of their offensive rebounding and took the lead at 26-24 with three minutes left. The Colonels utilized good ball movement against the Oglethorpe 1-3-1 zone to get a layup from Duggins and a three for Rucker as they took a 29-28 lead at the half.
- Less than three minutes into the third period, the Colonels began to shut down the Petrels defensively, going on a 14-0 run that covered over five minutes of game time. Chirico and Rucker keyed the run on offense as the Colonels got multiple transition opportunities after forcing Oglethorpe turnovers. Following a timeout, Oglethorpe slowly chipped away at the lead and cut it to 47-37 at the end of the quarter.
- The Petrels maintained their momentum into the fourth quarter as they scored the first two baskets to extend their run to 11-2 and cut the deficit to 47-41. With the lead slipping away, Rucker and
Rachel Jennings made timely three-pointers, while Duggins and
Emma Rose Vincent found each other for layups on consecutive possessions to help salt the game away for the Colonels.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- The Colonels held Oglethorpe to just 34 percent shooting on 20 of 59 for the day, including just three makes from long range.
- Despite the onslaught of offensive boards by Oglethorpe in the second period, the Colonels still managed to hold a 36-35 advantage over the glass.
- Rucker poured in a career high 22 points on the day, the second straight game in which the rookie has established a new career mark. She also finished with three rebounds and three steals.
- Chirico finished with 13 points, while Duggins and Herold each added 11.
- Playing against a full court press and switching halfcourt defenses, the Colonels only turned the ball over ten times.
- Centre had another strong performance from the free throw line, as they went 15 of 17 from the charity stripe for an 88 percent clip to help ice the game.
NEXT UP
With their win, Centre secured the no. 4 seed in the upcoming SAA Tournament, which means the Colonels will host the no. 5 seed in Sunday's quarterfinal round. Stay tuned to CentreColonels.com and the Centre Athletics social media pages for more information when it comes out.
