CONWAY, Ark. (Jan. 23) -- Hendrix College senior Christina Byler was 5-of-6 from behind the arc and led the Warriors with 18 points in a 71-65 win over conference foe Birmingham-Southern College on Sunday afternoon at Grove Gymnasium.
Hendrix (8-9, 5-4 SCAC) outlasted Birmingham-Southern (12-6, 7-2 SCAC) and grabbed the final lead change with 16:55 left in regulation. The first 23 minutes of action featured eight lead changes and five ties.
The Panthers controlled a slim advantage for the majority of the first half and held a six-point lead, 29-23, with 2:33 left before the break. Hendrix answered with an 8-0 run highlighted by back-to-back 3-pointers to lead 31-29 with 36 seconds to go. Birmingham-Southern tied the game with a layup on its final possession and the opening 20 minutes would end in a stalemate, 31-31.
The Panthers knocked down a pair of baskets on their first two possessions out of the locker room to jump out to a 35-31 lead after just 50 seconds. Hendrix responded once again and earned a lead it would not relinquish thanks to an 18-3 run over the next three minutes.
The Warriors led by at least five points over the next nine minutes until the Panthers narrowed their deficit to two points, 60-58, with five minutes on the clock. Hendrix held strong and five straight points from Byler gave the Warriors the cushion they needed. Hendrix went 6-of-10 from the charity stripe in the last three minutes of action.
Hendrix had four players in double-figures as junior Samantha Devlin scored 13 points, first year Jamie Tate added 12 points, along with junior Katy Ashley-Pauley's 12-point performance. Tate paced Hendrix with seven rebounds, while Ashley-Pauley dished out a season-high eight assists. Devlin also tallied five assists.
The Warriors will travel Sewanee-The University of the South on Friday, Jan. 28 and then take on Oglethorpe University on Jan. 30.
For more information on Hendrix Athletics please visit www.hendrixwarriors.com or contact Brian Rejer, Sports Information Director, at (501) 450-1426. Also, be sure to follow the Warriors on Twitter by checking out @Warrior_SID.
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