Behind another balanced scoring effort and a defense that held Thomas More, its opposition, to just 35.5 percent shooting from the field, the women's basketball program at Shawnee State was able to collect its 21st win on the year in a 89-78 victory over the Saints on Saturday afternoon at Waller Gymnasium in Portsmouth.
Shawnee State, who shot 47.3 percent from the field on its own accord (26-of-55), obtained a plus-seven rebounding advantage (44-37) in the contest. The Bears also tallied 15 assists on their 26 made field goal attempts compared to the Saints' seven dimes on 22 made shots in the affair. Brandie Snow (20 points), Carson Roney and Bailey Cummins (15 points each) and Anyia Pride (11 points) all finished in double-figures for the bout.
Shawnee State, who scored the game's first five points, had their opening tallies matched by Thomas More after the Bears, who held the Saints scoreless for 2:45, were matched by a 5-0 run from the Saints. The teams then traded the lead four different times over the remainder of the contest before SSU emerged with a double-digit lead on a 12-0 run. That spurt, which included a nine-point explosion from Snow, gave the Bears a 24-13 lead at the end of the opening quarter of competition.
SSU extended that lead to a 40-27 advantage, but Thomas More rallied back into the game by cutting the deficit down to five later in the opening half of competition. However, big minutes from Alex Ochman, Abbie Kallner, Leah Wingeier, Hagen Schaefer, and in the second frame, among others, allowed the Bears to keep the lead as SSU held a 44-37 margin at the halftime break.
With its lead at a 46-43 margin with 8:09 to go in the third quarter, Carson Roney turned it up a notch. The junior forward, who has put together critical second halves for Shawnee State time and time again, notched 13 of her 15 tallies in the second half of competition, including 12 during a 13-3 Shawnee State spurt, that put the Bears ahead by their largest lead of the game, 62-46, before Thomas More rallied back to close the gap to a 68-61 edge heading into the final 10 minutes of play.
In the fourth quarter, Anyia Pride took her turn at carrying the load. The sophomore scored five critical fourth-quarter points, including a massive offensive rebound and finish with 6:48 to go that put Shawnee State up by a 75-64 margin after Thomas More cut the lead to 68-64 on its opening offensive possession of the frame. Cummins and Snow helped close the game out by knocking down free throw attempts, with Snow driving into the lane, scoring, and hitting a free throw with 1:38 left to put SSU back up by a 83-70 cushion to help put the game out of reach.
Along with her 20 points, Snow also posted six rebounds, four assists, and four steals in the contest while Roney's eight rebounds and Cummins' five assists were also critical in the victory.
No. 7 Shawnee State faces a big showdown with No. 2 Campbellsville on Thursday evening at 6 p.m.
For more information on SSU Bears Athletics, visit www.ssubears.com or visit the Twitter and Facebook pages at https://twitter.com/SSUBears and https://www.facebook.com/SSUBears. For more information on how to join the SSU Bear Club, visit https://givetossu.com/bear-club.
