The Centre Women's Basketball team got off to a hot start to their 2011-12 season, defeating the Maryville Scots in tonight's season opener, 80-60.
The Colonels shot 48.3 % from the field against the Scots. Senior Maggie Prewitt (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) led the way for Centre with 24 points, as well as five of the team's 14 assists and three steals.
Senior Lauren Huter (Louisville, Ky.) finished one rebound shy of a double-double, tallying 13 points and nine rebounds.
Junior Chelsea Benham (Taswell, Ind.) scored ten points, pulled down seven rebounds, dished out four assists and shot a perfect 6-6 from the free throw line.
The rest of the Colonels were equally aggressive at taking the ball to the hoop, making as many free throws (25) as Maryville attempted.
Centre also got a strong defensive effort from the team, forcing the Scots into 18 turnovers while only allowing eight assists. They held Maryville to 37% from the field, thanks in large part to a masterful second half defensive effort in which the Colonels held the Scots to 28.6% in the final frame.
Centre racked up eight steals as Prewitt, Huter, Benham and juniors Jenna Mire (Knoxville, Tenn.) and Bridget Winstead (Franklin, Tenn.) all recorded thefts.
A three-pointer by Winstead, a jumper by sophomore Paige Baechle (Gallatin, Tenn.) and consecutive baskets by Prewitt helped Centre jump out to an early 18-8 lead seven minutes into the game.
After a timeout and seven consecutive points by Maryville, the score was 18-15 and the Colonels' lead would jump between three and six points for the next eight minutes. Free throws by Benham and Prewitt extended the lead back to eight. A transition jumper by Prewitt scored the final points of the first half and Centre had a 42-32 lead at the break.
The Colonels maintained their intensity in the second half, holding the Scots to just one made field goal in the first six minutes of the half. Centre scored the first seven points of the half on two baskets by Huter and three free throws by Prewitt.
With the lead trimmed to 11 points at the 13-minute mark, senior Alyson Burke (Burgin, Ky.) buried a baseline three to squash a small Maryville run and extend the Centre lead to 52-38. This shot was the start of a 15-1 run that blew the game open, as by halfway through the second half, the lead had ballooned to 25 points at 64-39. The 25-point lead would be the largest of the game for Centre, reached one other time at 72-47.
Lauren Burnett was the high scorer for the Scots with 11 points. Lailah Farmer added ten and Alex Bond scored nine.
The next game for the Colonels will be on November 18. They will face the Berry College Vikings in the Country Hearth Inn/Famous Recipe Classic.