Danville, Va. – The Averett University women's basketball team snagged its second consecutive win of 20 or more points in an 84-60 non-conference victory over Salem College on Monday night at the Grant Center.  
 
Averett (5-4, 0-1 USA South) came out blazing from behind the arc, with freshman point guard Alixis Roccia triggering the Cougars' momentum. She hit five 3-pointers in the first half with four in the first quarter alone to help put the Cougars ahead of the Spirits 44-39 at halftime.
 
"Tonight was really exciting to see Alixis have a great first half and knock down some open shots for us," head coach Liz Hickey said. Roccia not only found shots for herself but also created some for teammates. She finished with a career-high of five assists to go with her 15 points and three steals.  
 
Even with Averett's eight long-range shots in the first half, Salem (2-10, 0-2 GSAC) managed to stay close, shooting 43 percent from the field. The Spirits answered every time Averett tried to make a run in the first, second and third quarters, and they kept the deficit under 10 points up until the end of the third quarter. Averett senior guard Jessica Myers knocked down a jumper in the lane to get the Cougars over that hump and send her squad into the fourth quarter with a 63-53 advantage.
 
Averett extended the margin to 15 (70-55) with 7:16 to go in regulation when Roccia dribbled across the baseline to find sophomore guard Frida Lundquist for an open 3-pointer on the wing. Lundquist shot 5-for-9 from the field for a season-high of 12 points. Two plays later, Roccia kicked the ball out to freshman guard Shannon Longworth in the same spot for another triple that gave the Cougars a 20-point lead as they continued to pull away.
 
The Cougars outscored Salem 21-7 in the fourth quarter.
 
Sophomore shooting guard Samm Chandler led the way with 22 points and hauled in nine rebounds as Myers and junior guard Ariana Covington added 13 points apiece. Myers also chipped in six rebounds and five steals.
 
The Cougars come back to the Grant Center on Friday, Jan. 8, to host conference rival Greensboro College at 2 p.m. in their second USA South game of the season.