BREVARD, N.C. – The Brevard College women's basketball team (4-1) defeated visiting Berry College (2-4) 63-62 in a non-conference thriller on Tuesday evening at the Boshamer Gymnasium.   The wild affair featured seven lead changes and seven ties as well as several dramatic scoring runs.
 
Senior forward Makenna Parkins posted the largest scoring output by a Tornado this season with a 22-point performance on 10-of-14 shooting from the field.  The native of Marion, North Carolina scored a balanced 12 points in each of the two halves, while also pulling down a game-high seven rebounds. 
 
Junior guard Josie Hester posted 16 points to go along with four steals, two blocks and five rebounds. Sophomore Olivia Miller also scored in double figures with a 10-point performance to go along with three assists.  Senior guard Alexis Marshall led Brevard's distribution efforts with four assists, while sophomore Makayla Street registered three steals, three assists and four rebounds.
 
Berry was led by Elly Callahan and Kenadie Lee, each of whom scored 21 points.
 
The two teams opened the game with an evenly played start of the first quarter that saw the two teams tied 11-11 with just under four minutes remaining.  Berry then proceeded to reel off a 13-0 run to end the quarter and give the visitors a 24-11 lead.
 
The Tornados however flipped the script in the second quarter, beginning with an 8-0 run to start the stanza capped off by a Parkins jumper off an assist from Jada Petty-Wilkins.  The Vikings made a pair of free throws to snap the BC scoring run, providing their only scoring in the period.  Brevard's defense was suffocating in the second quarter, holding Berry to 0-for-9 shooting from the field and forcing seven turnovers.
 
The two teams headed into the halftime locker rooms with Berry holding on to a 26-24 advantage, despite the Brevard flurry in the second.
 
Period three began with an "and-one" layup by Hester that gave BC a 27-26 lead, capping off a 15-2 run that dated back to the second quarter.  Berry responded with a pair of field goals and a free throw to take a 36-32 lead with 2:17 to play in the stanza.  Brevard came up big with an electric 9-0 run with six of the nine points coming from Parkins to go along with a 3-pointer by Hester.
 
The Tornados entered the fourth with a 41-37 lead, then stretched their advantage to 50-43 on another bucket by Parkins off an assist from Marshall with six minutes remaining.  Another Hester 3-pointer followed by a layup from Miller gave BC its largest lead of the night at 57-46 with four minutes remaining.  Berry would respond again with a furious 16-3 run to take a 62-60 lead with 51 seconds remaining. 
 
With 22 seconds remaining, Miller earned an offensive rebound and put it back for a layup.  Fouled on the play, Miller made the subsequent free throw to give Brevard a 63-62 lead.  The Tornados then held on for the final 20 seconds aided by a pair of missed free throws and a failed put-back off an offensive rebound by the Vikings.
 
The Tornados outshot the Vikings 45% to 32% from the field, while also winning the rebounding battle 39-30.  Brevard dominated with a 38-14 advantage in points-in-the-paint. 
 
Brevard will return to action on Thursday at 6 p.m. with a USA South Conference tilt vs. N.C. Wesleyan at the Boshamer Gymnasium.  N.C. Wesleyan was ranked no. 1 and Brevard no. 2 in the USA South Preseason Coaches Poll setting up a matchup of conference favorites on the final day of November. 
 
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