DANVILLE, Va. — The Averett University women's basketball team cruised to a 70-39 victory over the University of Lynchburg, Tuesday evening in the Grant Center giving head coach Aby Diop her first collegiate victory. 
 
Following a back and forth opening quarter the Cougars were able to catch fire in the final minutes of the opening frame to take a 14-6 advantage. 
 
Averett (1-1) would up its effort in the second quarter of play with a 21-6 margin throughout the frame to take a commanding 35-12 lead into halftime over the Hornets (1-1). 
 
The Cougars closed out the evening winning both the third and fourth quarters to extend their lead to 70-39. 
 
Senior Brooke Carthon led the offensive charge for the Cougars scoring a game-high 18 points and pulling down four rebounds, while freshman Courtney Scott netted her first collegiate double-digit point game with 11, also dishing out four assists, collecting five steals, two blocks and grabbing three rebounds. 
 
The Cougars finished the evening with eight players scoring five or more points as seniors Kiara Smith and Rayvn Johnson along with sophomores Camryn Lunsford, Caitlin Reed, Courtney Hunt and Genesisi Weiters all netted five or more. 
 
Weiters finished with a team-high eight rebounds, helping the Cougars finish with a 44-37 rebound margin against the Hornets. 
 
Averett finished the evening shooting 48.2 percent from the floor and 50 percent from behind the 3-point arc. 
 
Additionally, Lunsford as well as several other Cougars defenders managed to keep Lynchburg's leading scoring Alissa Smalls scoreless on the evening as the Hornets shot just 29.3 percent from the floor and 0-15 from the 3-point line. 
 
The Cougars are back in action Saturday and Sunday when they host Huntingdon College at 2 p.m. on Saturday and Piedmont College at 1 p.m. as part of the Cougar Tip-Off Classic.