LOUISVILLE, Ky. – On Tuesday, Spalding women's basketball hosted St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) opponent Blackburn. The Golden Eagles defeated the Beavers 73-56 and won their first conference game of the season.
SU moved to 3-4 (1-1 SLIAC), while the Beavers fell to 2-6 (0-2 SLIAC) on the season.
TURNING POINT
Two baskets by
Riana Caldwell and a pull-up jump shot by
Nicole Hollowell gave Spalding an early 6-0 run to begin the first quarter. Blackburn fired back with their own 7-0 run, which made this a conference matchup a battle. A couple of turnovers by the Beavers led to
Sydney Raque hitting a driving layup. Spalding ended the first quarter with the lead, 14-10.
It was a slow start for the Golden Eagles to begin the second quarter. Blackburn went on an 8-3 run to give them the lead, 17-18. As the quarter went on, the Beavers kept getting into foul trouble. Free throws made by
Isis Rodgers and Hollowell helped SU gain some separation. In addition, a huge three made by
Maelyn Ridener added to the lead for the Golden Eagles to end the half, 29-26.
To begin the third quarter, Raque drove into the paint and kicked it out to find her teammate Caldwell. This allowed SU to put points on the board first, which gave us some momentum. This fueled a 14-4 run by the Golden Eagles. Spalding kept attacking the paint, which led to some easy layups. The third quarter ended 56-38, in favor of SU.
The fourth quarter was no different than the third. Spalding carried that momentum to help keep the separation between the two teams. The Golden Eagles maintained control for the remainder of the game, winning 73-56.
GOLDEN EAGLE NOTES
- Riana Caldwell recorded a double-double, 16 points and 12 rebounds.
- Sydney Raque tied a team-high 16 points and tallied nine rebounds.
- Spalding outrebounded the Beavers, 49-43.
- SU had a strong defensive standing with 13 total steals.
NEXT FOR SPALDING
Spalding will host SLIAC opponent Eureka on Saturday, December 9th. Tipoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.
