LEXINGTON, Ky. - Senior guard Olivia Akridge fired in 19 points Saturday, moving over 1,000 for her career and shooting Transylvania past Manchester 77-60 in a matchup of the two second-place Heartland Conference women's basketball teams.
2010-11 Schedule/Results
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Transy is 11-4, 6-2 HCAC, after winning its fifth in a row. The Spartans are 7-8, 5-3 HCAC. The two teams came into the contest tied for second in the conference race, one game behind Hanover.
Akridge improved her career scoring total to 1,004 points, enough to become just the 15th Pioneer female player to reach 1,000. Senior teammate Holly Milburn added 17 points, eight rebounds, and two assists to the attack and she now stands at 984 for her career.
The former Lyon County High School standout passed 1,000 at the 6:35 mark of the game, canning a pair of free throws following a technical foul on the Manchester bench.
Transy led by 12 at halftime and by as many as 22 in the late going. The Pioneers held the Spartans to 31 percent shooting for the game while making 42.4 percent. Manchester was especially hurt by its long-range shooting, going just one of 17 from three-point range.
Akridge and Milburn led four Transy players in double figures: Angel Lucas equaled her season high with 12 points and Shayla Black contributed 10 points, four assists, and five rebounds. Kennae Demus notched nine points, eight rebounds, and four steals to to with a pair of blocks.
Akridge and Milburn each had 10 first half points and the Pioneers took a 32-20 edge at intermission. Neither team shot well with Transy knocking in 13 of 32 for 40.6 percent compared to Manchester's eight of 32 effort (25 percent).
Transy outscored the Spartans 16-5 over the final 7:33 to expand a one-point lead to a dozen, its largest of the game to that point. Brittani Bush had five points to lead Manchester in the first half. The Spartans were just one of 10 from three-point range.
Laine Mello led Manchester with 13 points while Melissa Eltzroth and Kelsey DeMott added 10 apiece.
Transy returns to action on Wednesday, traveling to Earlham for a 7:30 p.m. matchup with the Quakers.