Box Score


WINCHESTER, Va. — Averett couldn't overcome an early deficit as Shenandoah University eliminated the Cougars in the USA South Conference tournament quarterfinals with a 76-64 victory on Tuesday afternoon.

Averett (14-12) and Shenandoah (15-11) traded the lead early on, but the Hornets used an 11-0 run to get a nice first-half cushion. The Cougars cut it to five on a Taylor Poirier 3-pointer with 2:12 left in the half, but Shenandoah extended its lead to 38-31 at the break.

The Cougars hit a layup to start the second half, but Shenandoah began to pull away after that. The Hornets led by as many as 19 late until Averett chopped it down to 12 in the final seconds.

Poirier led the Cougars with 27 points in her final collegiate game. Fellow senior Nikki Huffman had three points and seven rebounds. Sophomore Ashley Washington finished with nine points.

Mandy Johnston scored 14 points to lead Shenandoah, which advanced to Friday's semifinals in Newport News, Va.

The Cougars set several records this season, including wins in a season and conference wins in a season. Poirier, by playing in Tuesday's game, set the program record for career games played with 102.