Meredith MER 7-16,5-11 USA South

William Peace WPU 7-14,5-10 USA South

Meredith MER

7-16,5-11 USA South

Final

Feb. 06, 2024

William Peace WPU

7-14,5-10 USA South

Score By Periods
Team	1	2	3	4	F
Meredith MER	5	15	16	13	49
William Peace WPU	13	16	21	18	68

Summary
Box Score

Jerrell Jordan

Tanaesha Ellison Reached The 1,000-Point Career Milestone

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | 2/7/2024 1:11:00 AM | WPU Athletic Communications

Pacers Rout Meredith 68-49 In Play4Kay Game

RALEIGH, N.C. – William Peace played perhaps its finest women's basketball game this season in a 68-49 rout of crosstown rival Meredith at the Herman Athletic Center on Tuesday.

Standout guard Tanaesha Ellison put on a show for the home fans. She tallied 32 points, 14 rebounds, nine steals and four assists in electrifying fashion. With the contest well in hand, she thrilled the fans one last time – scoring one last bucket with under a minute remaining to reach 1,000 career points as a collegian. She played two years at Pfeiffer before transferring to William Peace.

It was her 12^th double-double of over 20 points and 10 rebounds this season. She was one steal away from recording her second career triple-double.

Ellison was honored after the game for her achievement in front of family, friends and fans. As spectacular as her numbers were, the junior guard was not a one-person show. The Pacers played as a unit against a Meredith team that beat them in a close contest last month.

Several Pacers contributed to the 19-point win in the Play4Kay Game. Nautica Smiley added 14 points, six rebounds, five assists and three steals. Allye Woodruff had 11 points, four rebounds and two steals. Hannah Lewis and Zia Prim each pulled down four rebounds and Prim added four points and two steals. Meredith couldn't match the energy that each Pacer, including Brittany Blackburn, Brene'a Daye and Keslee Hylton, displayed on the court.

The Pacers (5-10 USA South, 7-14 overall) outscored their rival by an astounding 29-0 in fastbreak points. Many of the transition points came off turnovers they forced. Meredith (5-11 USA South, 7-16 overall) committed 24 turnovers against an active defense that the Pacers converted into 19 points.

The win was the first over Meredith since 2021. The Angels won the last four meetings before Tuesday.

"We came out tonight with great energy and didn't let up," said Pacers Assistant Coach Sabrina Shepherd. "We played to our strengths tonight. We got stops on defense and scored in transition. With us dropping to eighth in the conference it was a really big game for us. I'm glad we pushed through. It was a great way to play our last home game of the season!"

With former Peace star and current author Ronnie Lauglin looking on, the Pacers shot out to an early 13-5 first-period lead. By halftime, the score was 29-20 Pacers, but that was a prelude of what was to come.

The Pacers didn't let up in the second half, expanding their lead to 50-36 by the end of the third period. With their lead reaching 26 points in the fourth, the only question was would Ellison reach the 1,000-point milestone. She needed 31 points to get it.

She scored near the contest's end which capped a marvelous game for the Pacers. It was a great way to finish their regular season home schedule.

NOTE: At halftime, Laughlin was honored with a presentation of roses. A member of the 1977-78 Peace team and the N.C. State program from 1979-81, she signed copies of her book "An Atypical Journey" earlier in the day. The book reveals her experience battling breast cancer. She played for Coach Kay Yow at N.C. State.

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