Winning one's home opener is always sweet.
However, doing so in convincing fashion only adds to the icing that's already laid out on the cake.
The Shawnee State women's basketball program (2-1) put four players in double-figures, took off to an 8-0 advantage en route to ultimately establishing a 20-6 first-quarter lead and shot 44.6 percent from the field while holding the Miami-Hamilton Harriers' women's basketball program to just 23 percent shooting likewise in a 91-45 victory Thursday evening at Waller Gymnasium in Portsmouth.
Quick Facts
In notching its 91-point tally Thursday, SSU matched its highest single-game point total in the DeWayne Burroughs era at Shawnee State and posted its largest margin of victory under Burroughs in the 46-point triumph.
The Bears dominated every aspect of the contest in doing so, as Shawnee State outrebounded Miami- Hamilton by a plus-22 margin (51-29), held the Harriers to 20.8 percent shooting from three-point range and posted 18 assists to Miami-Hamilton's six. The Bears also forced 22 Harrier turnovers which directly led to 27 Shawnee State points. Shawnee State also held significant edges by doubling up Miami-Hamilton in points in the paint (28-14) and in second-chance points (19-12).
Deaver, Johnson spark efforts of second unit
Shawnee State, who jumped out to an 8-0 advantage through the first 3:52 of the contest, had its lead cut to an 8-3 margin by the Harriers – but got no closer thanks in large part to the efforts of Shawnee State freshman lead guard Lexi Deaver.
Upon being inserted into the game with the second group at the 4:31 mark of the opening quarter, Deaver proceeded to light up the net in a big way by scoring nine consecutive Shawnee State points over a span of 1:53 – including an old-fashioned three-point play sandwiched between two long-range bombs.
Fellow freshman and off-guard Amiya Latham's three-pointer with 12 seconds remaining in the opening quarter solidified SSU's double-digit advantage for the rest of the evening.
For the contest, Deaver – a local product from nearby West Portsmouth – ultimately matched senior wing Teyarra Johnson with a team-high 15 points – with the former supplying each of her 15 tallies in the opening half. Deaver also posted team-highs of five assists and three steals to help set the table for the Bears offensively and defensively.
Johnson, meanwhile, helped Shawnee State build on SSU's 47-15 halftime advantage by scoring 10 of her 15 points in the second half. The Dayton, Ohio product, along with Deaver, combined to go 10-of-15 from the field including a blistering 7-of-10 from long distance.
Steele, Latham add to impressive outing by freshmen class
The previously-mentioned Latham, along with Cincinnati, Ohio product Jariah Steele, also showed up in a big way.
Steele posted a well-balanced effort with a seven-point opening half and an additional six points in the second set of stanzas en route to 13 tallies and six rebounds, while Latham scored her remaining nine points in the second half of competition while going 4-of-12 from long range, ultimately posting 12 points, six rebounds and four assists in all.
Additional
Cianna Gloster's nine points and nine rebounds, Emily Maynard's eight points and eight rebounds, Chianne Gloster's six points and six rebounds and Maelynn Howell's eight rebounds and five points led a well-balanced effort from top-to-bottom for Shawnee State, who also got big contributions from Markayla Holland (eight points) and Sanaya Gregory (two steals).
No player played less than 18 minutes or more than 22 tallies in the contest.
With the victory, the Shawnee State women will turn their attention to a nonconference road bout at Simmons (Ky.). The contest against the Louisville, Ky.-based program, which will be a women's and men's basketball doubleheader, starts at 1 p.m. with the women preceding the men in action.
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