No. 9 Lady Senators wallop Patrick Henry, 111-29

MARTINSVILLE, Va. — Ninth-ranked Walters State asserted its dominance early on against Patrick Henry Saturday afternoon and was never remotely threatened in a 111-29 rout of the Lady Patriots on the opening day of the Coach Kenny Wade Memorial Basketball Tipoff Classic at Patrick Henry.

The Lady Senators forced 12 turnovers in the first period while allowing just seven shot attempts in the opening 10 minutes, building a 25-point lead by the end of the period before adding to the lead throughout in an easy victory.

With the win, the Lady Senators have won two straight and now sit at 3-1 on the year. The loss dropped Patrick Henry to 1-3 on the campaign.

Both Zacharyia Esmon and Dulcy Fankam-Mendjiadeu outscored the home team in the first period, as Esmon dropped in 10 points and Mendjiadeu had 8, as Walters State built a 31-6 lead after 10 minutes.

By halftime, WSCC had three players in double figures, with Mendjiadeu posting 14 points and 13 rebounds for a double-double in just 13 minutes of action in the opening two periods. Esmon had 12 points at the break, and Jamya Rogers tallied 10 points in the half, as the Lady Senators took a 63-14 lead into halftime.

Walters State increased the lead to 91-22 after three periods of play, as Mendjiadeu pushed her totals to 20 points and 18 rebounds (9 offensive, 9 defensive) with still 10 minutes left in the contest, and the Lady Senators pushed past the century mark with five minutes left in coasting through the final 10 minutes to end the game.

Mendjiadeu led alls scorers with 20 points while also pulling down a career-high 21 rebounds in the win, while Rogers and Esmon both added 18 points, Diamond Forrest had 12 points and Hannah Jones set a new season-high with 10 points in the victory. Every player scored for Walters State, with 10 players scoring at least 5 points.

The Lady Senators shot 51.5 percent (51 of 99) from the field in the contest, making 3 of 20 from long range and 6 of 7 at the free throw line. WSCC also held a 56-33 advantage on the glass and forced 34 Patrick Henry turnovers.

The Lady Patriots were limited to just 17.6 percent shooting (9 of 51) in the game, making 1 of 12 from 3-point distance and 10 of 22 from the charity stripe. Vernicia Glass led the home team with 8 points, while Shadajah Davis pulled down 11 rebounds in the defeat.

The Lady Senators will finish off their Virginia road trip Sunday afternoon with a contest against Guilford Technical. Tipoff is set for noon.