Raleigh, NC - In the second of five consecutive games on the road, the Southern Virginia University women's basketball still gave Knights fans reason to cheer from afar. With their 71-29 victory over conference foe Meredith, the Knights earned several significant milestones while improving their record to 19-2 and a perfect 12-0 in league play.
Perhaps the most important achievement with the win is the Knights securing the top seed in the upcoming USA South tournament for the second straight year. It guarantees home-court advantage throughout the playoffs, a key implication considering their undefeated record at home this season.
However, it would be difficult to overshadow an all-time program record, their 17th win in a row. They broke a three-year-old record set during the 2021-2022 season, the same year the Knights brought home their first-ever conference championship since becoming a member of the NCAA. The feat is also the third time under the reins of Head Coach Lynette Schroeder that the team has won more than ten consecutive games, joining their 2022 team, and last year's team which won twelve games in a row.
Before the Knights could bask in their accomplishments, they had to perform. Defense ruled the day as Meredith was unable to score more than nine points in any quarter. Meredith did fight hard in the opening minutes to bring the score to a tie midway through the first quarter, but a dominant stretch from Abigail Snyder and Ruth Kempler, who scored the Knights' first 12 points, gave the Knights the lead at the end of ten minutes, 15-9.
The second frame is when the Knights made their bug push. With over five minutes remaining in the half, Snyder had already recorded 17 points and couldn't be contained. Her relentless scoring, along with a couple of threes from Camilla Norton, helped the team to a 33-15 advantage at the half. Norton was dialed in from beyond the arc, converting on all three of her three-point attempts.
If the defense wasn't noticeable enough in the first half, they were even more effective during the third quarter. Seven different Knights recorded double figures in steals, leaving Meredith with only five points to show for in the third quarter. The team complemented their defense with three-pointers from Abigail Snyder, Addison Newman, and Maria Savvun to add to the lead.
Once again, the all-around play from their entire roster proved too much for their opponents. Southern Virginia's confidence never wavered en route to a 71-29 win to put an exclamation point on an afternoon filled with milestones. Snyder led the team in scoring with 22 points in just twenty minutes on the floor. She also chipped in six rebounds and three steals. Aysia Foster added to her league-leading 43 blocks and had three steals to round out another stellar defensive performance.
Looking ahead, Southern Virginia will take a brief hiatus from their USA South opponents and encounter their final non-conference matchup of the regular season. They'll face Bridgewater College, a matchup between two premier teams in the region, both of which have received top 25 votes in the D3hoops national rankings poll. Tip-off is scheduled for Wednesday, February 12th, at 7:00 PM on Bridgewater's home court.
For the most up-to-date information and details on the team, visit knightathletics.com and follow @knight_wbb on Instagram.
