DANVILLE, Va. — Averett University women's basketball eased to an 83-53 conference win over Methodist University on Wednesday night at the Grant Center, giving the Cougars a regular season sweep of the Monarchs.

Averett (11-7, 8-2 USA South) notched its third consecutive victory and its eighth win over the last 10 games as the Cougars contend for the top of the USA South Conference's East Division standings.

The Cougars had little trouble against Methodist (2-16, 2-7 USA South), taking an early lead and pulling away in the second quarter. Senior Samm Chandler led three Averett players in double-figure scoring with 22 points. Junior Amani Ajayi finished with a double-double of 19 points and 15 rebounds and sophomore Brooke Carthon chipped in with 11 points and seven rebounds. Chandler added nine rebounds and two blocks, giving her 100 for her career.

Averett set the tone early, opening the game with a 14-2 run in first four-plus minutes, causing six turnovers during that span. Although Methodist closed the gap, sophomore Kiara Smith's 3-pointer as the quarter expired gave the Cougars a 25-15 lead entering the second quarter.

Averett's first-half lead peaked at 21 points as the Cougars enjoyed a 43-24 advantage at halftime.

The Cougars pushed their lead to 28 points in the fourth quarter as they recorded their fifth consecutive win against Methodist. Averett beat the Monarchs 79-47 in Fayetteville on Jan. 10.

Averett returns to the court on Saturday when the Cougars host rival Ferrum College at 2 p.m.