ADRIAN, Mich. -- The Siena Heights women's basketball team (4-1, 1-0 WHAC) pulled away from Cornerstone early to earn an 89-55 win in the team's home opener of Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) play. Junior Allye Minor (Bryan, Ohio) led the Saints for the second game in a row as she tallied 14 points, five rebounds, and four assists on the night.
THE BASICS
Final Score: Siena Heights 89, Cornerstone 55
Location: Adrian, Michigan (SHU Fieldhouse)
Records: Siena Heights (4-1, 1-0 WHAC), Cornerstone (3-7, 0-2 WHAC)
HOW IT HAPPENED
The teams traded buckets to start the first quarter before the Saints tallied five straight to pull 7-2 in the opening four minutes. A free throw by senior Savannah Gibson (Birch Run, Mich.) gave SHU its largest lead of the opening quarter, 19-11, in the final 30 seconds. The Golden Eagles hit the final shot in the final second of the first to hang around with only a six-point deficit.
Two pairs of free throws in the opening minute of the second quarter pushed that SHU advantage to double-digits (23-13) for the first time in the game. A jumper by Cornerstone with 3:46 remaining in the half cut the Siena Heights lead to only seven points, but a 12-2 run sparked by a three-point bomb from sophomore Sha'kyia Parker (Grand Rapids, Mich.) gave the Saints a 45-26 lead as the two teams entered the locker room at the intermission.
Out of the break, Siena Heights started the third stanza with seven-straight points to extend the lead to 26 points (52-26). For the rest of the game, the Saints continued to pour it on the Golden Eagles. Freshman Jillian Gelso (Ida. Mich.) hit a three to give Siena its largest lead, 83-45, with 2:05 left in regulation as SHU earned the 1-0 start in league play.
The Saints outscored Cornerstone in the paint (20-6), in second-chance points (15-2), and off the bench (33-18). Siena finished 53.1% shooting from the floor, 44.4% from three, and 85.3% from the free-throw line.
TOP SAINTS
• Minor scored 14 points, tied a game-high five rebounds, and had the game-high with four assists.
• Banks led the team with 16 points on 4-11 shooting.
• Junior Kelsey Wyman (Blissfield, Mich.), along with Gibson, totaled 13 points.
• Freshman E'Anna Won (Wadsworth, Ohio) was the final Saint with double-digit points with 10.
• Junior Shelby Morrow (Flushing, Mich.) led SHU with five rebounds and four steals.
THE OPPOSITION
• Allyson Richards led Cornerstone in scoring with 13 points.
• Kenedy Helderop hauled in a team-high four rebounds.
UP NEXT
The Saints travel to Ann Arbor on Saturday for a WHAC showdown with Concordia (Mich.). The game is scheduled for a 1:00 p.m., EST, tip-off.
