ARLINGTON, Va. — Brooklyn College used a strong run in the third quarter to defeat the Averett University women's basketball team 71-62 in the consolation game of the Marymount University Pablo Coto Tip-Off Tournament on Saturday evening.
 
Brooklyn (2-2) got on the scoreboard quickly with a couple layups to take control in the opening five minutes of play, but sophomore guard Joelle Deese, in what has been her norm so far this season, came off the bench and kickstarted Averett's offense. In just eight seconds of being on the court, Deese took one dribble for a pull-up jumper from mid-range to begin closing the gap and hit another to put Averett within two points.  
 
Averett (2-2) then heated up from long range, nailing three consecutive 3-pointers, two from sophomore guard Frida Lundquist, that sparked an 11-2 run to put the Cougars ahead for the first time at 15-10 in the first quarter. They continued their momentum on the defensive end, and after forcing 16 turnovers in the first half, the Cougars went into halftime with a 30-28 lead.

Brooklyn adjusted itself to Averett's zone defense in the third quarter and took advantage of its height and presence down low. The Bulldogs scored 16 unanswered points with 12 of them in the paint, but the Cougars started to creep back when freshman guard Shannon Longworth knocked down a triple, putting the Cougars within nine at the 4:44 mark.
 
Senior guard Jessica Myers scored on a layup with just under seven minutes left in regulation to shorten the margin to two, and the Cougars found themselves only trailing 55-54 when sophomore shooting guard Samm Chandler connected on a free throw with 6:08 on the clock. Unfortunately, their efforts were matched by Brooklyn. When the Cougars figured out a way to halt the Bulldogs' scoring on the inside, Brooklyn hit shots from the outside to keep the Cougars from bouncing back.
 
Chandler secured her second double-double of the season with 17 points and 10 rebounds as well as four assists and three blocks. With nine points in the first half, Deese, who was named to the all-tournament team, finished with 14 points and eight rebounds while Myers added 11 points and four steals.
 
The Cougars get 10 days off before traveling to Lynchburg on Wednesday, Dec. 2, to match up with Randolph College at 7 p.m.