GREENSBORO, N.C. - The Brevard College women's basketball team (1-1) held close with Guilford College (2-0) through the first half before the Quakers pulled away in the second half to take the 78-65 victory on Thursday evening in Greensboro, N.C.
Josie Hester led all Tornados with 16 points, hitting five field goals, two 3-pointers, and four free throws while also grabbing six rebounds. Olivia Miller notched her first double-double of the season with 14 points and 11 boards, while Makayla Street added nine points and a team-high four steals. Senior forward Makenna Parkins made her 2023-24 debut, scoring six points with five rebounds.
Guilford's Anna Giannopoulou scored a game-high 23 points with nine field goals made. Courtney McMillan added 22 points, while Ashtyn Zeigler totaled 16 points.
Miller led all Tornados with six points in a low-scoring first quarter that saw Brevard hold a two-point edge, 8-6.
With the Tornados up 16-11 midway through the second period, the Quakers answered back, hitting consecutive 3-pointers to take a one-point lead. A pair of free throws from Jada Petty-Wilkins and buckets by Hester and Street gave Brevard back its five-point lead, 22-17, with 3:25 left to go in the first half. Guilford halted the run by hitting its fifth 3-pointer of the first half.
The Quakers put together an 11-3 run to take a three-point lead, but Lexi Shepard hit a layup with eight seconds left in the first half, cutting the Guilford halftime edge to one point, 28-27.
Neither side shot particularly well from the field (GC: 32%, BC: 31%), but the Quakers hit five 3-pointers while Brevard went 0-of-7 from long range.
The Quakers came out firing in the early stages of the third quarter, opening up an 11-1 run that included three 3-pointers to take an 11-point lead, 39-28. Guilford maintained its double-digit lead to take a 49-38 edge into the fourth and final quarter.
Guilford kept the Tornados at bay for the remainder of the contest to wrap up a 13-point win, 78-65. The Quakers hit their field goals at a 43% clip for the game, compared to a 32% mark for the Tornados. Guilford made nine 3-pointers to Brevard's two, outrebounded BC 51-42, and dished out 15 assists in the matchup.
The Tornados return to play on Friday to open up USA South Conference action at home vs. Meredith College at 6 p.m.
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-BC-