'Roo Women Coast to Win Over JWU

SHERMAN, Texas - The Austin College women's basketball team exploded for 34 second quarter points and all 16 players found their way into the scoring column in a 90-48 victory over Johnson & Wales on Saturday evening in Hughey Gym. The 'Roos are now 17-2 overall and 10-2 in Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference play.

The 'Roos got off to a slow start to open things up as JWU went on top 6-5 midway through the first, but five straight points from Sarah Gwin sparked an 11-3 run and Austin College would take an 18-11 edge into the second quarter. The 'Roos scored the first six points of the second quarter and grew the lead to 20 on a three-point play by Natalie McCoy to make it 34-14, and Austin College would cruise into halftime leading 52-18. Austin College shot 63.2% from the field in that second quarter, while holding the Wildcats to 2-of-11 shooting and forcing eight turnovers. 

The strong defensive effort continued into the third as the 'Roos held JWU scoreless until the 4:28 mark, at which point the margin had swelled to 63-18 before the Wildcats were able to get on the board. A bucket by Maddy Hubych made it 70-33 heading into the fourth quarter, where Austin College would get 20 points from its bench, including a career-best seven from Madison Bradley and four more from Hubych. Overall, the 'Roos got 66 bench points compared to just four for Johnson & Wales and Austin College outscored the Wildcats 44-10 in the paint.

McCoy led Austin College with 11 points while Hubych, Gwin, and Lindsay Carter each chipped in 10 as no Austin College player saw more than 16 minutes of action in the victory. McCoy added three assists and Gwin had a game-best five. Ally Longaker scored nine points and added seven rebounds, matching Andrea Selkow for the team lead on the glass. Hubych and Carter each pulled down six rebounds, and Kacie West chipped in nine points in the victory.

Katey Guzman led all scorers with 24 and Brianna Bailey had 18, as the duo scored all but six points for the Wildcats. Johnson & Wales shot just 27.4% from the field and turned it over 20 times, while the 'Roos hit 49.3% of their shots, incluidng 38.1% from deep.

Austin College heads out on the road next weekend when they take on Schreiner on Friday night in Kerrville, followed by a trip to San Antonio and a matchup with Trinity on Saturday.