CLINTON, SC—Winthrop's women ran into a hot-shooting Presbyterian Blue Hose team on Saturday as the Eagles remain winless on the road with a 77-44 Big South Conference loss.
After starting out just one for nine from behind the 3-point arc, the Blue Hose turned red-hot behind freshman Taylor Petty and connected on 10 of its final 16 threes as PC won its home finale and completed its regular season sweep over Winthrop.
The loss drops Winthrop to 4-23 overall and 3-15 in the conference while PC improves to 16-11 and 12-6.
Winthrop was led in scoring by freshman center
Arianne Whitaker who was the only double figure scorer for the Eagles with 11 points. PC used a balanced attach as 11 players got into the scoring column. Petty and Janie Miles led the Blue Hose with 15 points each.
PC shot 50.9 percent overall from the floor (28-55) and was 11 of 25 (44 pct.) from behind the arc. Winthrop managed to shoot 50 percent in the first half (11-22), but cooled off in the second half to finish at 38 percent (19-49). The Eagles were just one for seven on 3-point shots which put them at a 30-point deficit.
After Cortney Storey gave PC an early lead with a layup just 20 seconds into game, Winthrop's
CiiCii Buford connected on a 10-foot jumper to give the Eagles their only tie at 2-2 with 8:19 left in the first quarter. Following back-to-back layups by Aianna Kelly and Storey, Buford scored again to make it a 6-4 game before Petty made the first of her five 3-pointers to put the Blue Hose ahead 9-4. Winthrop would get no closer the rest of the way as PC went up by 11 after the first quarter when Petty made another trey to make it 19-8.
After
Aliyah Kilpatrick connected on an 18-footer from the corner, Miles answered with a 3-pointer to put the Blue Hose up 22-10 with 9:12 left in the first half and the rout was on.
Winthrop's chances to keep the game respectable were dampened with 6:26 left in the second quarter when Kilpatrick had to sit after picking up her third foul and the Eagles trailing 26-12. Winthrop managed to stay within 10 points at 32-22 with just over two minutes left in the half after
Naima Jackson scored six straight points and Whitaker and
Kayla Atkins scored on inside baskets. However, PC closed out the half with an 11-3 run to lead 43-25 at intermission.
Petty gave PC its first 20-point lead at 48-28 with another 3-pointer at the 6:41 mark of the third quarter. The lead increased to 29 early in the fourth quarter following back-to-back buckets by Tia Mason made it a 66-37 game.
Winthrop will play its final home game of the season next Tuesday, March 1, when Liberty comes to town for a 7 p.m. contest.
