Buena Vista, VA - The Southern Virginia University women's basketball put their perfect conference record on the line against the team that sits just behind them in the conference standings, Brevard College. The Knights didn't falter in front of their home crowd and ended the day with a 70-58 victory.
Both teams used relentless defense to make each bucket difficult in the opening quarter. While the play remained even for the most part, the Knights earned their early advantage at the charity stripe, making all four of their shots to capture a 15-9 lead before the buzzer. Fresh off her career high of 26 points last week, Abigail Snyder led the team with five points in the early going.
The second quarter turned into a roller coaster for Knight fans. At first, their team took control of the game, leading 27-13 at one point, but Brevard stormed back to cut the deficit to just six by the end of the half. Hailey Paige contributed five rebounds and a perfect two-for-two shooting performance in just ten minutes. The score held at 29-23 as the halftime buzzer sounded.
The Knights started on time in the second half with an opening score from Maria Savvun. Hailey Paige's performance became very noticeable as the teams traded buckets for several minutes. Her free throw with less than a minute left in the third quarter gave the Knights a 49-38 lead, which they would carry into the final frame. Paige had amassed 9 points and 8 rebounds to that point.
A defensive battle highlighted the fourth quarter. The Tornados desperately tried to chip further into the lead, but the Knights continued to counter with timely baskets. With under five minutes to play, Brevard pulled to within five at 55-50, but Aysia Foster shattered hopes of a comeback by scoring eight of her team's first ten points.
To add to the fun, Ruth Kempler drilled her first three of the season to bring the lead back to double-digits. The Knights' dynamic frontcourt all but sealed the victory by converting on a two-on-one with a minute remaining. At the final buzzer, Southern Virginia claimed the victory and a spotless record in conference play of 11-0. The win put the Knights in a great position to clinch the coveted home-court advantage throughout the USA South tournament.
Looking ahead, Southern Virginia will play five consecutive road games. First, they'll face Salem College on Tuesday, February 4th, at 6:00 PM. For the most up-to-date information and details on the team, visit knightathletics.com and follow @knight_wbb on Instagram.
