Pikeville, Ky. – Shawnee State women's basketball were victorious on day one of the Appalachian Wireless Classic at the East Kentucky Expo Center on Friday afternoon, downing Bluefield (Va.) 72-50 in a sloppy game in Pikeville.
SSU would take an early lead, with Shania Massie (SR/Greenfield, Ohio) and Bailey Cummins (JR/Brooksville, Kentucky) hitting threes for an early 6-2 lead. Danae Cox would score six straight points to put Bluefield up 8-6, but SSU would immediately tie the game back up on a Cummins lay-in. SSU would re-take the lead on a put-back by Natalie Zuchowski (FR/Ravenna, Ohio) and another Cummins lay-up at 12-10; Zuchowski would increase the lead to two scores with another second chance bucket at 14-10. The lead would not drop below two possessions again until late in the first quarter, when Jamie Vest hit a three to cut the Bears' lead to 22-20 after one period.
Hannah Miller (SR/Coal Grove, Ohio) would score the first five points of the second quarter to extend SSU's lead back out to three possessions at 27-20. The low-scoring second quarter would see the Bears and Rams futile from the field; SSU would expand their lead to a game-high nine points at 36-27 off a put-back by Cassie Bentley (FR/McArthur, Ohio). Cierra Cook would get a lay-in late in the period to cut Shawnee State's halftime lead to 36-29.
The sloppy play continued in the third quarter, as SSU and Bluefield struggled to score early. Miller would get a lay-in early in the half, and Sienna King (SO/Shelby, Ohio) would get her first bucket of 2018, the only two made shots in the first five minutes of the third quarter. Shawnee State's bench would be assessed a technical foul, leading to Bluefield's first point of the second half as Cox went 1-2 from the free throw line. Vest would get a three on the next possession to cut the lead to seven, and Kierra Bell-Linnear would hit a pair of foul shots to cut SSU's lead down to five points at 40-35. However, the Bears would score the final seven points of the period, including five from Miller, to go up 47-35 by the end of the third quarter.
The run would extend into the fourth quarter and reach 15-0 after baskets by Sydney King (JR/Birmingham, Alabama), Sienna King and Miller extended the lead to 55-35. That run would effectively put the game away for SSU, as the Bears would play to run out the clock. Bluefield would use a full-court press to force turnovers and cut the lead to 13, but would get no closer as Miller and Hagen Schaefer (SO/Portsmouth, Ohio) would hit threes to extend the lead back out to 19. Bluefield would get physical late, but SSU would hold on for a 72-50 win.
Shawnee State shot 27-64 from the field for 42.2%, and were 10-22 from three for a 45.5% mark from behind the arc. SSU was 8-12 from the free throw line. The Bears outrebounded Bluefield 39-33, and forced 21 Bluefield turnovers to SSU's 14.
Hannah Miller had 24 points to lead Shawnee State. Bailey Cummins had 12 points and two assists, with her second assist getting her to 300 for her career, only the 13th player in SSU history to reach that milestone. Hagen Schaefer was the only other Bear to reach double digits with 10 points.
Danae Cox was the lone Bluefield player in double digits with 13 points.
The win sees Shawnee State improve to 3-0 on the season. Bluefield falls to 0-2. The Bears now lead the all-time series 4-1.
Shawnee State women's basketball returns to action on Saturday, November 3 when they take on Point Park (Pa.) at 10:00am in day two of the Appalachian Wireless Classic. PPU takes on hosts Pikeville at 4:00pm on Friday.
