Lexington, Ky. – Behind a powerful start and a consistent two-way team performance, the No. 22 Transylvania women’s basketball team roared to their 13th straight win, defeating the Earlham College Quakers, 81-52 Thursday evening at the Beck Center.
Playing in a rare Thursday night Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference game after frigid weather between Lexington and Earlham’s home of Richmond, Indiana rendered the Quakers unable to travel on Wednesday, the teams squared off 24 hours after the originally-scheduled tip-off.
The Pioneers displayed no evidence of tarnish after the extended wait.
After Earlham got on the scoreboard first with a field goal, the Pioneers responded with a knockout 19-0 run to signify the only other lead change of the game as they left nothing to chance. The Pioneers finished the quarter with a 25-11 lead and won the next three quarters as well for their fifth-largest margin of victory in the 2018-19 season.
Transylvania improved to 18-2 overall and 12-1 in the HCAC, maintaining their first-place position in the conference standings. Earlham fell to 7-12 overall and 5-7 in conference play.
While the Pioneers endured a conservative offensive start to the second quarter, their defense remained on lockdown, holding the Quakers to just four points over the first five minutes of the period and 27 percent shooting from the field for the first half. Transylvania knocked down eight first-half 3-pointers on the way to a 45-27 halftime lead.
Transy held Earlham to a 4-for-22 stretch from the floor in the third quarter to add to their lead and outscored the Quakers, 20-13 in the fourth quarter for the final touches.
Junior forward Shelby Boyle led four double-digit scorers for Transylvania in another showcase of balanced team production with 14 points and added six rebounds, three assists, two steals, and one block. Sophomore guard Zenoviah Walker registered 12 points, four rebounds, two dimes, and a steal in 21 minutes of play.
Sophomore forward Kaitlyn Johnson added a career-high 11 points off the bench, hitting on all three of her behind-the-arc attempts and finishing the night 4-for-4 from the field. Senior guard Kristen Hayes scored 10 points on a 4-for-5 night and tallied three rebounds.
The Pioneers finished the night 13-for-28 from three-point range as they maintained their top-10 national ranking in three-point makes.
Transylvania is back in action on Saturday, February 2 as the Pioneers head to North Manchester, Indiana to face the Manchester University Spartans in an HCAC matchup. Tip-off will occur at 3:00 p.m. at the Manchester Physical Education and Recreation Center (PERC).
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