Rincon, Puerto Rico – Shawnee State women's basketball picked up their third straight win on Monday morning, defeating Interamericana San German (P.R.) 77-33 on day two of the Porto Del Sol Classic.
Interamericana edged out in front for much of the first quarter, holding an 8-4 lead early on. However, SSU would close the gap and eventually take the lead. Shania Massie (SR/Greenfield, Ohio) would get a 9-0 run started for the Bears with a lay-up in the fast break, and Laken Smith (SO/Waverly, Ohio) would follow with a shot in the post to tie the game at 8-8. Smith was fouled on the play, and made the free throw to put SSU up 9-8; Cassie Bentley (FR/McArthur, Ohio) would follow with a lay-up, and Bailey Cummins (JR/Brooksville, Kentucky) would hit two free throws to cap the run. Interamericana would keep it close, but Massie's lay-in with six seconds to go in the first quarter would see SSU lead 19-16 after one period.
Shawnee State then bared down in the second quarter, shutting out the Tigresas in the period. Smith and Marnae Holland (FR/Strongsville, Ohio) would open the quarter with back-to-back lay-ups, and a Massie three pushed the lead to 26-16. SSU continued to slowly grow the lead until it reached 20 points, with Smith's buzzer-beater giving Shawnee State a 36-16 lead at halftime.
The third quarter would be nearly as dominant for Shawnee State, as the Bears continued to lock down on the struggling Tigresas. The lead reached 20 points with 4:47 to go in the third on a pair of Ashton Lovely (SR/Jamestown, Ohio) free throws; Interamericana responded with back-to-back buckets, but Leah Wingeier (SO/Newark, Ohio) would get four points to extend the lead back out to 30 points. Hagen Schaefer (SO/Portsmouth, Ohio) made a fast break lay-up at the buzzer to make the lead 55-22 after three. The lead would reach 40 with 6:32 left in the fourth quarter on a Bentley lay-up, and would peak at 77-31 on a Sienna King (SO/Shelby, Ohio) shot, before two Interamericana free throws cut the lead to the final 77-33 margin.
Shawnee State shot 45.0% from the field to Interamericana's 22.0%. SSU held the Tigresas to 9.1% from three, as Interamericana shot 2-22 from behind the arc. SSU outrebounded Interamericana 50-29, and had 17 assists to the Tigresas' six.
Laken Smith had a double-double, scoring 16 points and grabbing 12 rebounds off the bench to lead Shawnee State. Shania Massie had 10 for the Bears.
The win moves Shawnee State to 11-3 on the season. SSU is now 2-0 against Interamericana after defeating the Tigresas last season.
Shawnee State women's basketball return to action on Saturday, December 29 when they welcome West Virginia University Tech to Portsmouth. Tipoff is set for 2:00pm.
