No. 9 Lady Senators roll to 81-49 win over Spartanburg Methodist

MORRISTOWN, Tenn. — Ninth-ranked Walters State scored the first 14 points of Wednesday night's home game against Spartanburg Methodist and was never threatened in an 81-49 rout of the visiting Lady Pioneers inside 'Z' Buda Gymnasium and Assembly Hall.

The Lady Senators held the Lady Pioneers scoreless for more than six minutes to begin the game, and the lead was a dozen after one period and never dipped into single digits the rest of the game.

With the win, the Lady Senators improved to 2-1 on the year after playing the first three games of the season at home.

The loss dropped the Lady Pioneers to 1-1 on the campaign.

Jamya Rogers, Dulcy Fankam-Mendjiadeu and Hannah Jones each scored 4 points in the opening 14-0 run for Walters State before Aliyah Whiteside scored with 3:42 left in the opening period to give Spartanburg Methodist its first points of the contest. Both teams scored one field goal each in the final three minutes of the frame, as WSCC took a 16-4 lead into the second quarter.

The visitors briefly cut the lead to 10 twice early in the second, but a triple from Alexis Trice sparked an 11-3 run that pushed the lead to 29-11 midway home in the period. The Lady Senators got the lead to 20 in the closing minute of the half before taking a 40-17 lead into halftime after Zacharyia Esmon hit a putback layup at the horn.

Spartanburg kept the margin at 24 early in the third before Diamond Forrest connected on a pair of buckets in a 12-2 run that built the lead to 59-27, and the lead reached 67-34 by the end of the third.

The Lady Pioneers got the margin below 30 twice in the fourth period, but WSCC led by as much as 34 late before settling for the 32-point margin of victory.

Walters State shot 43.8 percent (35 of 80) from the field in the win, making just 3 of 17 from long range and 8 of 14 from the free throw line. The Lady Senators also dominated the glass, owning a 53-31 edge.

Rogers notched her first career double-double in the victory, notching a career best 20 points and 11 rebounds, while Mendjiadeu also had a double-double with 12 points and 10 boards. Esmon added 9 points, while Trice, Forrest, Carnessia Griggs and Derrinesha Jackson each tacked on 8 points in the win.

The Lady Pioneers were limited to 29.7 percent (19 of 64) shooting in the contest, making 5 of 15 from downtown and 6 of 8 from the charity stripe. Shania Clark led Spartanburg with 13 points in the loss.

Walters State will be back in action Saturday afternoon with a road game in Virginia against Patrick Henry. Tipoff in Martinsville is set for 2 p.m.