BREVARD, N.C. - Junior guard Josie Hester scored a DIII-Era record 33 points and became just the third Tornado in the overall NCAA era to total 33 points or more, as the Brevard College women's basketball team (15-7, 10-6 USAS) went toe-to-toe with the first-place Methodist Monarchs (18-5, 15-1 USAS), narrowly falling 71-69 on Saturday afternoon at the Boshamer Gymnasium.
Hester's 33 points supplanted the previous NCAA DIII mark for the Tornados of 32. The Huntersvillle, North Carolina native's performance trailed just Madison Lenox (36 points, Nov. 15, 2015) and Katie Williams (35 points, November 15, 2015 for the program NCAA-era lead.
Hester went 12-of-16 from the field, hit four 3-pointers and all five of her free throws to total the 33-point performance. Jada Petty-Wilkins also reached double figures in scoring with 15 points and a team-high five made 3-pointers, while Naliyah Boyce scored six points, grabbed seven rebounds, while also blocking two shots.
Aniyah Tate scored 22 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for the double-double, while Melissa D'Oleo scored 11 points. Mentodist's defense forced 21 BC turnovers and converted 22 points-off-turnovers. Brevard held a 38-27 lead on the glass, however, Methodist had a 10-point edge in the paint (32-22) and outpaced BC in transition 15-0.
Methodist held a 3-2 lead at the 9:28 mark, and that would be its last lead until the third period as BC started off hot with a 23-point first quarter. Brevard pushed its lead up to a nine-point margin, but Methodist responded, erasing the deficit completely before a Petty-Wilkins 3-pointer gave the Tornados the edge going into the locker room.
Methodist took a one point lead briefly, 41-40, as the contest shifted into a back-and-forth state. The visitors took an eight point lead at one point, but the Tornados responded with consecutive Hester 3's, as BC held on to a one-point lead going into the final quarter.
Another Hester 3-pointer extended Brevard's lead out to six, 58-52, as a hectic fourth quarter ensued with several road changes and tied scores. With the score all level at 65 points each, Tate drilled a pair of free throws to give the Monarchs a two-point lead at the 2:26 mark, 67-65. Pretty-Wilkins answered right back with a clutch 3-pointer that gave BC the lead back, 68-67.
Tate hit a layup that put Methodist back on top by one point, 69-68. BC's Makayla Street drew a foul with 32 seconds left and hit a free throw that tied the game back up, however Tate came through once again for the visitors with a last-second layup, giving BC the ball back with four seconds left on the clock. Methodist didn't allow the Tornados to get a shot off at the end, as the Momarchs escaped with the two-point victory.
Brevard is back in action on Wednesday, February 14 at 6 p.m. in Misenheimer, North Carolina against Pfeiffer University before Senior Day on Saturday, February 17 at 2 p.m. against Salem College.
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