BREVARD, N.C. – The Brevard College women's basketball team (11-4, 6-2 USA South) fought hard but ultimately fell just short in a 71-62 decision against first-place Southern Virginia (14-2, 8-0 USAS) on Saturday afternoon at the Boshamer Gymnasium.
 
The contest entered the fourth quarter with the visitors up by just one possession, 51-48. However, an early run by the Knights allowed them to build an eight-point lead, and SVU clinched the win by scoring the game's final five points to seal a nine-point victory.
 
Josie Hester, the reigning USA South Conference Player of the Week, led the Tornados with 22 points on an efficient 8-for-13 from the field. The Huntersville, North Carolina senior guard made three 3-pointers and also was a perfect 3-for-3 from the free throw line. Hester added a team-best five rebounds in a category that left much to be desired for BC.
 
Junior guard Christena Rhone added 11 points with four field goals and three 3-pointers. The Morganton, North Carolina product also dished a team-best four assists out. Makenna Parkins reached double figures for thr second-consecutive game, adding 10 points with three field goals, four made free throws, and a team-best four steals. Analee Morris provided valuable minutes off the bench for BC, contributing six points, two rebounds, and two assists in 14 minutes.
 
Four Knights reached doule-digit scoring totals, with Abigail Snyder leading the charge with a game-best 25 points on 9-for-13 from the field. Snyder hit a game-best four 3-pointers and added seven rebounds and three assists to stuff the stat sheet. Maria Savvun added 11 points, while Addison Newman and Alyssa Weiland each scored 10 points apiece. Ruth Kempler led SVU's dominant performance on the glass with 10 rebounds, and Aysia Foster rejected three Tornado shot attempts.
 
Each side's shooting numbers from the field, beyond the arc, and at the charity stripe were nearly even throughout the deadlocked matchup. SVU took advantage of its 43-20 rebounding margin, scoring 17 second-chance points to Brevard's three. The Knights also did well in transition, outpacing Brevard 19-2 in fastbreak buckets. Despite the contest being tight throughout, SVU never once relinquished its lead.
 
The visitors started the ballgame on a 15-2 run through the first seven minutes of play, but BC cut into the deficit before the end of the first period, utilizing a 12-4 run to pull within five at the end of the first quarter, 19-14.
 
SVU led by as many as eight in the second quarter, but the Tornados were able to cut the deficit to one possession by scoring the final two buckets in the half to trim the margin to three points, 31-28, at the halftime intermission.
 
The Knights pushed their margin up to nine points, 44-35, following a Snyder layup with 3:37 left in the third period. Brevard was able to answer back, as two Parkins free throws were followed by a Hester layup at the 2:58 mark. Finally, Rhone electrified the Bosh with a 3-pointer off an assist by Shania Houser that trimmed the margin to just two points, 44-42.
 
Weiland and Hester then traded buckets before Weiland nailed a critical 3-pointer with 1:04 left in the third quarter that put SVU back up by five. Morris hit a layup that drew Brevard back within one possession, as the Knights took a three-point lead into the game's final quarter of action.
 
SVU opened back up a seven-point lead through a minute of action in the final period. The Tornados kept battling through the remainder of the final stanza, but the Knights kept their distance never allowing BC to pull closer than two possessions. Snyder hit a free throw with 32 seconds left that put the Knights up 67-62, and a Tornado turnover on the following play proved costly as Newman converted a fastbreak layup. SVU finished the game up by forcing another Tornado turnover and scoring a layup in transition as the Knights escaped with the 71-62 final.
 
Brevard will look to bounce back on Tuesday, January 21 as the Tornados square off against Greensboro at 7:30 p.m., capping off a doubleheader of action with the BC MBB team at The Bosh.
 
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