Alixis Roccia womens basketball 111415
Drew Wilson
72
Southern Virginia SVU-W 0-1
105
Winner Averett AUW 1-0
Southern Virginia SVU-W
0-1
72
Final
105
Averett AUW
1-0
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Southern Virginia SVU-W 11 18 19 24 72
Averett AUW 38 28 22 17 105

Next Game:

at Roanoke College

11/15/2015 | 2 p.m.

Next Game

Full Schedule
Nov. 15 (Sun) / 2 p.m.
at Roanoke College
History

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | | By Karmen Robinson/Assistant Sports Information Director

Women's basketball dominates Southern Virginia in season opener

DANVILLE, Va. — The Averett University women's basketball team used a 27-point lead in the first quarter to thrash Southern Virginia University 105-72 in the season opener on Saturday afternoon at the Grant Center. 

Averett (1-0) bursted out the gate in the opening minutes to pull away from Southern Virginia early. Southern Virginia (0-1) couldn't get past the Cougars' trap defense, allowing the Cougars to capitalize from its inability to take care of the ball. Junior guard Ariana Covington stole the ball from Morgan Hartvigsen and finished on a fast break to give Averett a 25-3 edge in less than five minutes of play. Five of Covington's seven steals came in the first half, and she ended the afternoon with nine points.    
 
The Cougars led by as much as 45 when freshman point guard Alixis Roccia knocked down a free throw late in the second quarter. She had a stellar collegiate debut, and after playing almost the entire game, she finished with 21 points, seven rebounds, five steals and four assists.
 
One thing Hickey noticed about her team in the preseason was the amount of intensity her players brought to the court, especially with the transition from playing halves to quarters.
 
"I'm very proud of the team because Southern Virginia had a lot of new players, so we didn't really know what to expect," head coach Liz Hickey said. "We asked our team to bring a lot of energy, and we played great defense to cause turnovers."
 
The Cougars put up 20 fast break points and 42 points off the Knights' turnovers. Averett was just one-point shy of tying its record for the most points scored in a game, which was set in 1984 when the Cougars defeated Piedmont Bible College 106-31.
 
Sophomore guard Joelle Deese was the only Cougar to net a double-double with 11 points and 10 steals. Her defensive performance tied the program's record for steals set by her teammate Samm Chandler last season against Mary Baldwin College.
 
Chandler had a game-high 23 points with eight rebounds and five assists while senior guard Jessica Myers added 12 points and three steals.
 
The Cougars return to action on Sunday, Nov. 15, when they travel to Roanoke College to face the Maroons at 2 p.m.
 
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Players Mentioned

Samm Chandler

#10 Samm Chandler

G
5' 10"
Sophomore
Ariana Covington

#14 Ariana Covington

G
5' 7"
Junior
Joelle Deese

#11 Joelle Deese

G
5' 8"
Sophomore
Jessica Myers

#12 Jessica Myers

G
5' 4"
Senior
Alixis Roccia

#21 Alixis Roccia

G
5' 4"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Samm Chandler

#10 Samm Chandler

5' 10"
Sophomore
G
Ariana Covington

#14 Ariana Covington

5' 7"
Junior
G
Joelle Deese

#11 Joelle Deese

5' 8"
Sophomore
G
Jessica Myers

#12 Jessica Myers

5' 4"
Senior
G
Alixis Roccia

#21 Alixis Roccia

5' 4"
Freshman
G