Pikeville, Ky. – Shawnee State women's basketball won their fourth straight game to open the season on Saturday, trouncing Point Park (Pa.) 90-65 on day two of the Appalachian Wireless Classic at the East Kentucky Expo Center.
The first quarter would be close throughout as the Bears and Pioneers would go basket-for-basket early. Sienna King (SO/Shelby, Ohio) would open the scoring with an open lay-in, finding a seam against Point Park's 2-3 zone, but would be answered by Ariana Sanders on the other end. Shania Massie (SR/Greenfield, Ohio) would then hit a three for the Bears, but Sanders would answer with two straight baskets to give PPU an early 6-5 lead. The largest lead for Point Park would come with 7:10 remaining in the first after a three by Tyra James would put Point Park up 9-7.
Shawnee State would then storm back into the lead. Laken Smith (SO/Waverly, Ohio) would hit a jumper in the lane to tie the game at 9-9, and Hannah Miller (SR/Coal Grove, Ohio) would put SSU up for good with a lay-in after a turnover, getting fouled in the process and hitting the free throw. Smith then knocked down a corner three to put the Bears up 15-9. Miller would give SSU their largest lead of the period with a three at 20-12; the Pioneers would battle back to cut the lead to 25-19 after one quarter.
The Bears would take control of the game in the second quarter. Smith would open the period with a three to extend the lead out to 28-19, and Bailey Cummins (JR/Brooksville, Kentucky) would get the lead to double-digits for the first time with a lay-in at 30-19. Point Park would cut the lead back down to nine, but Cummins would hit a three to give SSU a double-digit lead for good at 35-23. A late Cummins three would give SSU their largest lead of the first half at 46-27, but a late James three would cut the lead to 16 at 46-30 at halftime.
A Hagen Schaefer (SO/Portsmouth, Ohio) three early in the third quarter would extend SSU's lead out to 55-35, and the Bears would not trail by less than 20 again for the rest of the game. Cummins would get a lay-up on the fast break to momentarily extend the lead out to a game-high 31 points at 67-36. Point Park would go on a 9-0 run to end the period, cutting the lead back down to 67-45. The fourth quarter would see Shawnee State sub in the bench to see out the win, as SSU would fend off Point Park down the stretch 90-65.
Shawnee State shot 30-59 from the field, good for 50.8% overall. The Bears were also 13-31 from three for 41.9%, and went 17-20 at the free throw line. SSU outrebounded Point Park 28-27 for the game, and forced 20 Pioneer turnovers to SSU's 10. SSU had 23 assists, a season high.
Shania Massie scored 19 points to lead SSU on the morning. Laken Smith had 16 points, and Bailey Cummins added 15 points and nine assists. Hannah Miller also had 12 for the Bears.
Tyra James had a game-high 26 points to lead Point Park. Ariana Sanders added 13, and Kaitlyn Smith had 12. The Bears held Michelle Burns, the Pioneers' leading scorer, to two points.
The win sees SSU and Point Park off to opposite starts, as the Bears move to 4-0 while the Pioneers fell to 0-4. Shawnee State leads the all-time series 9-0 after Saturday morning's win.
Shawnee State women's basketball gets a week of rest before return to action on Saturday, November 10 when they visit West Virginia Tech for the first time since the Golden Bears' move to Beckley. Tipoff is set for 6:00pm from the Beckley-Raleigh County Convention Center.
