ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. – Averett University women's basketball bravely fought with hosts N.C. Wesleyan University on the last day at the Jean Edge Classic, but a first-half deficit eventually led to a 72-53 loss on Sunday night.
The first quarter was as evenly contested as could be with Averett (0-4) and N.C. Wesleyan (3-0), playing to the tune of a 15-13 period in favor of the Battling Bishops. Down by as many as five midway through, the Cougars battled, evening out with their opponents 8-8 through the four-plus minutes to only be down by two. Making five field goals in the first ten minutes,
Zariia America continued her impressive scoring run into today, with five points alone.
The N.C. Wesleyan offense showed throughout the second quarter, going from start to finish on a 22-5 run, and leading 37-18 at the halftime break. The squads were dead even from beyond the arc, with both making a trio of threes in the half.
Starting to pick up slight momentum, Averett closely edged N.C. Wesleyan 12-8 through over half of the third period. Sharpshooter
Emma Jones and
Skylar Jones added to the team's tally with a pair of three-balls, with the Cougars only trailing by 15.
Jaa Brown added to Averett's third period march, now trailing by only 13, but Battling Bishop Iyania Evans replied with a layup to lead 47-32, heading into the final frame.
Trends continued into the final period, with
Jaa Brown,
DaiShaundria Giggetts, and
Brianna Sams contributing to an early run that had the Cougars reducing their deficit to 13, 51-38, at the media break, with just over seven minutes to play. Averett fought valorously until the finish, but the first half point differential was not enough to overcome, losing by a 19-point margin, 72-53.
Giggetts surpassed her season-opening 10 points with a team-leading 15 versus N.C. Wesleyan, along with six rebounds and five steals. Brown, who started, totaled her first game hitting double figures with 13, including a perfect day from the free-throw line, 7-7.
72 points scored by N.C. Wesleyan was the lowest point tally that Averett has allowed to an opponent thus far in the early season, holding the Battling Bishops to under a 39 percent field-goal percentage. The Cougars led in three-point makes with five, and in steals with 12.
Averett returns home to the friendly confines of the Grant Center for the first time in nearly two weeks, welcoming Salem College for a 7 p.m. tipoff on Wednesday, Nov. 20.
