Women's Hoops Cruises to Win in SCAC Opener

SHERMAN, Texas – The Austin College women's basketball team cruised to a 67-45 victory over Centenary College in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference opener for both teams on Friday evening. The 'Roos improve to 8-3 overall and 1-0 in SCAC play with the victory.

Caitlyn Collins scored 18 points in just 20 minutes of action and Bryce Frank recorded a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds for Austin College, as the 'Roos raced out to an 18-9 lead after the first quarter and would use a big third quarter to pull away for good. Austin College led by as much as 13 in the first half, with Collins knocking down a pair of free throws to make it a 30-17 game with 3:02 left in the second quarter before the Ladies used an 8-3 run to pull to within 33-25 at the break.

In the third quarter, Frank scored six in a row to push the margin to 39-27 and the lead stretched to 51-30 after two more buckets by Frank with 1:22 left in the frame. A quick 5-0 run for Centenary got it back down to 51-35, but Kendall Heitmeier's three pointer with 26 seconds left in the quarter made it 54-35 heading into the fourth.

Collins scored four of the first eight points in the fourth for Austin College to push the lead to 62-39 with 3:22 to play and the 'Roos would coast from there. The 'Roos shot just 38.2% from the field, hit 12-of-22 from the free throw line, and only made 3-of-18 three pointers but harassed Centenary into 23 turnovers and used 19 offensive rebounds to pick up the victory.

Collins made 6-of-10 from the field and 6-of-8 from the free throw line to get her 18, adding three steals in the win. Frank made 8-of-14 attempts from the field to get to 16 points, with three of her rebounds coming on the offensive glass. Heitmeier grabbed 11 rebounds for Austin College and added seven points and three assists.

Jasmine Morris recorded a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds to pace Centenary, and Linda Gomez Gil chipped in nine points off the bench for the Ladies. Centenary shot just 24.1% from the field and hit only 2-of-23 three pointers in the game.

Austin College athletic teams participate as a member of the NCAA Division III and the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference.