ROCKY MOUNT, NC – After letting one slip away earlier this season against NC Wesleyan, the William Peace women's basketball team bounced back to even the score Tuesday night, as they held on to beat the Battling Bishops in their USA South road opener.
Their first go-around was a historic one, as they teamed up to set a new NCAA Division III record for free-throws attempted (124) and tied the USA South record connecting on 74 of them. 85 fouls were called, nine players fouled out, and nine players finished the game one foul shy of getting the boot. Tuesday's contest wasn't quite the same fiasco, but it was another tightly contested game that came down to the wire.
Kenyata Harris came up big for NC Wesleyan last time in Raleigh. Her bucket in the closing seconds forced overtime and the Bishops rolled from there, 87-77. It was Ka'la Jordan with the clutch shot at the end of regulation this time though, as she drove the lane and dropped it in to secure the Pacer's 71-68 win.
WPU (3-4, 1-1 USAS) connected on five of their first six shots, jumping out to a 12-1 lead less than four minutes in, but NC Wesleyan cut the deficit to three (17-14) with 10 minutes left, following a 5-0 swing that only took 19 seconds. The Battling Bishops (3-7, 1-4 USAS) used a 6-0 spurt to take their first lead of the game (22-21) at the 7:37 mark. They reclaimed the lead (33-32) with under a minute remaining, but Derrica Jones hit a lay-up following an offensive rebound from Taylor Williams, and then Alex Armstrong hit a jumper to send WPU into the break leading, 36-33.
The Pacer's 4-0 run to close the first turned into an 8-0 run after Brittany Boykin and Jones both made baskets, extending their lead to seven (40-33). NC Wesleyan would eventually tie the game at 46, but they were never able to overtake the lead in the second half. WPU led by seven points again (67-60) with 3:33 left. It was a one point game with 34 seconds until Jordan sealed the deal.
"We made our mistakes and had plenty of opportunities to fold, but we stayed composed, played through it, and picked up a big win on the road," said head coach Kelly Johnson. "We played everyone and it took a total team effort, so I am very proud of them all."
Jones led the way for the Pacers, registering her third double-double of the year with 19 points and 13 rebounds. With the performance, Jones also widened her gap as the conference's leading rebounder, averaging 11.3 per contest.
"Inch for inch she's one of the best rebounders I've ever coached – male or female – she just has a nose for the ball," Johnson explained.
Senior Krystal Williams was the other Pacer to figure reach double-figures, scoring a season high 16 points in addition to three rebounds, three assists, and a steal. Zhana Gooden also gave WPU a lift making her season debut after battling back from injury. Gooden had eight points and a pair of rebounds in 16 minutes off the bench.
Kechae Parker and Alexis Fitzgerald each scored 15 points off the bench to pace NC Wesleyan. Parker only missed one shot from the field (6-7) and also grabbed nine rebounds. Fitzgerald did most of her damage from beyond the arc, going 3-of-6 from long distance.
The WPU women's basketball team returns to action this Friday as they travel to Demorest, Georgia for a South Division square-off against Piedmont College at 7:30 p.m.
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