BUENA VISTA, Va. - The No. 12/23-ranked Washington and Lee University women's basketball kicked off their season in dominant fashion as they defeated Southern Virginia University 92-44 on Friday evening to secure head coach
Brittney Kemp's 100th Career Win.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Knights (0-1) jumped out to an early three-point lead behind a layup from Kate Marker and a three-pointer from Lyla Seneca. The Generals (1-0) responded with an 8-2 run, sparked by back-to-back baskets from Sam Collins. Emma Schmitz and Riley Bryant each added points in the paint during the scoring stretch to put W&L ahead, 10-6. Following another three-pointer from SVU that cut the deficit to one, Bryant converted a layup off an assist from Schmitz before intercepting a pass on the ensuing possession and going coast-to-coast for a fast-break layup to extend the Generals' lead to 14-9. After the Knights added a layup, the Blue and White closed the first quarter on a 6-2 run, getting baskets from Bri Shuttlewood, Zou Raine and Schmitz.
- Nearly two minutes elapsed in the second quarter before Collins knocked down a jumper to put the Generals ahead, 22-13. W&L continued to build its advantage with a 10-3 run over the next four minutes, fueled by six points from Bryant and four from Olive Bigham. The Blue and White extended their lead to 20 with eight unanswered points as Shuttlewood, Schmitz and Bigham each converted layups. W&L entered halftime with a 23-point advantage after Alivia Tarry knocked down a three-pointer before recording a steal and a layup to give the Generals a 46-23 lead.
- Collins opened the scoring in the second half by intercepting a pass from Seneca and converting a fast-break layup. Both teams traded baskets until the Blue and White broke the game open with an 11-0 run to take a commanding 62-28 lead. Bigham tallied five points during the scoring stretch, while Bryant added four and Tarry knocked down a pair of free throws. Following back-to-back baskets from the Knights, Tarry connected on a three-pointer and a layup before Caroline Shimp added a basket to send the Generals into the final quarter with a 35-point advantage.
- The Blue and White extended their lead to 43 points to open the fourth quarter as Collins recorded a pair of baskets, while Shimp and Bryant each added a layup. The Knights cut into the deficit with two baskets before Shimp converted a three-point play to put the Generals ahead, 82-38. Emily Straughn added four points to extend W&L's lead to 46, knocking down a pair of free throws before converting a layup off a steal from Kate Kennedy. Toni Pernetti scored the game's final points, adding a pair of layups in the final 30 seconds to secure a 92-44 season-opening victory for the Generals.
TOP PERFORMERS
- The Blue and White had four players reach double figures in the season opener, with Riley Bryant leading all scorers with a career-high 18 points on 8-of-13 shooting while grabbing a team-high 12 rebounds and registering four steals. Olive Bigham tallied 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting in her collegiate debut, while Sam Collins and Alivia Tarry each added 12 points in the win. Tarry led the Generals with two three-pointers while dishing out a team-high four assists.
- Lyla Seneca paced the Knights with 16 points, knocking down four three-pointers. Emma Sabin (12) and Kate Marker (10) also reached double figures for SVU.
- Kensey Peterson recorded a game-high three blocks, while Bigham and Zou Raine led the Blue and White with two blocks apiece. Emma Schmitz joined Tarry with a game-high four assists.
TEAM STATS
- The Generals opened the season with a victory for the fifth consecutive year, improving to 12-1 in the all-time series against the Knights.
- With the win, head coach Brittney Kemp notched her 100th career win as a collegiate head basketball coach. In her sixth season as a head coach, Kemp has posted a 100-39 overall record while leading the Blue and White to a 57-6 mark.
- The Blue and White shot 52.7 percent (39-of-74) from the floor, shooting above 50 percent in the second (57.9%), third (52.9%) and fourth (52.9%) quarters. W&L knocked down three of its 12 attempts from beyond the arc (25%) while converting 11-of-12 (91.7%) free-throw attempts.
- W&L dominated the glass, out rebounding SVU 44-33 while grabbing a game-high 33 defensive boards. The Generals scored 66 points in the paint, 29 points off the Knights' 20 turnovers and 19 fast-break points. The Blue and White also received 44 points from their bench.
UP NEXT
- The Generals are back in action on Sunday, November 8 for their home opener as they welcome North Carolina Wesleyan University to Holekamp Gym for a 4 p.m. tip-off.
Nestled in the mountains of Virginia, Washington and Lee University is a proud member of NCAA Division III and the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. Founded in 1749, W&L is the ninth-oldest college in the United States and a top-ranked liberal arts university. With over 500 student-athletes in 24 varsity sports, the Generals have celebrated over 265 conference championships. Learn more about the Blue and White by visiting www.generalssports.com or on social media at @WLUGenerals.
