DANVILLE, Va. – Senior Day was celebrated, as Averett University women's basketball honored players
Carmen Moore,
Jaa Brown,
Skylar Jones, and
Olivia Garner. Some of the aforementioned senior Cougars came to play in full fashion, starring as Averett downed Virginia Wesleyan University on Saturday afternoon, 69-63.
Senior
Skylar Jones got the festivities off to a hot start, driving in a layup that helped contribute to Averett's 14-8 start in the Grant Center. Fueled from an entire team effort, the Cougars never lost their lead through 10 minutes, even with Virginia Wesleyan and its 6-2 run to end the period hot. With nine turnovers caused, Averett maintained a 16-14 lead at the quarter intermission.
The Marlins tied the bout up twice during the second quarter at 21 and 23 apiece, respectively, in help to visiting leading scorer Keagan Schwab. Forcing the Marlins to a slew of turnovers on the offensive end, senior Brown showed out down the stretch, helping Averett with four of the teams' last 10 points in the second, including a late jumper to elevate the Cougars' lead to 33-30 at halftime.
Through a productive half with eight points on 4-6 shooting, Brown steered Averett onward. Freshman
DaiShaundria Giggetts blazed with five steals, now only two away from tying the program record for steals in a single season.
The third period was all Giggetts, as Averett kept composure to not give up its lead the entire way, going up by as large as seven. As a whole, the Cougars made half of their field goals (7-14), riding their way into the last quarter of the home stretch, up 49-42.
Trading buckets to start the last quarter, Averett, fueled by Brown once more, amassed its advantage to 58-46, a lead they would not relinquish for the rest of the game. The Marlins did make things dicey, however, finding their way to the charity stripe possession after possession, making it a six-point game with under 25 seconds to go. It was too large of a lead to overcome, as
Emma Jones was cool from the foul line, and sunk both to clinch an emotional victory on Senior Day, 69-63.
Giggetts' steadied second half propelled her to the game's top scorer with 20 points on 6-11 field goal shooting, and added an additional steal in the second half to place her just a single swipe away from program history. Senior Day festivities could not have gone better for Brown, tying her career-high in points with 14. Another senior,
Skylar Jones, set a career-best in assists with five, to go along with six points, seven rebounds, and four steals.
Team-wise, the Cougars accrued more steals than the Marlins, 15-11.
Averett rounds out the 2024-25 regular season at Randolph-Macon College next Saturday, Feb. 22. Tip-off is set for 2 pm.
