Danville, KY ---- It was a close one with the Colonels coming out on top, beating Asbury College 70-68. Centre's
Lindsay Jessie had a day today as she set a new career high with 21 points.
Centre started strong, as
Arin Nipp made a 3-pointer on the opening possession and the team quickly built a 7-3 lead with free throws.
Asbury responded with Camryn Poole scoring all 8 of their early points, but the team soon struggled to convert possessions, missing several 3-pointers and layups. Centre's aggressive defense forced turnovers and fueled an 11-1 run to end the quarter.
Opening the second quarter, Asbury starts with an 11-0 run, 2 free throws, and layups from Emily Sizemore as well as Ellie Heid's 3-pointer and jumper, turning a 22-11 deficit into a 22-22 tie.
The Colonels went into the half with a 34-29 lead, despite a mid-quarter scoring drought for almost four minutes.
Lindsay Jessie turned it around, scoring 2 baskets on the inside,
Armour hitting mid-range shots, and
Claire Russell scoring at the buzzer on an offensive rebound.
In the second half, Centre came out fierce, with Jessie, Armour, Campbell, and Edelen all scoring. Asbury missed several three-pointers and layups, and a series of turnovers paired with shot blocks by Nipp, allowed Centre to stretch the lead to its largest margin of the game at 48–34.
Asbury, however, could not be counted out as they stormed back with six 3-pointers from three separate players, Sizemore, West, and Heid, cutting the lead down. Centre was able to respond with inside scoring, pushing the lead back to 8, going into the final quarter.
Fourth Quarter was all drama as Centre's Campbell hitting a three and Asbury missing early shots, allowing the lead to extend back to 10 on a Jessie jumper, this was the first of many cutting and rebuilding leads, as both teams continued to the final minutes being a back-and-forth battle, with key baskets from Nipp, Hellums, Edelen, West, and Sizemore keeping the game tight. Centre regained the lead at 68–65, and after a clutch three by Ellie Heid tied it at 68, Nipp's free throws with one second left secured a 70–68 victory for Centre.
Centre Colonels are on the road as they head to play Spalding University on November 30th.
