LYNCHBURG, Tenn. — The much anticipated matchup between the final two unbeaten teams in the Tennessee Community College Athletic Association on the women's side Saturday afternoon quickly turned into a rout.
No. 19 ranked Walters State invaded Copperweld Arena and stormed past the homestanding Lady Bucks, as a 19-4 scoring advantage in the second period sparked the Lady Senators to a 78-47 drubbing of Motlow State.
With the win, Walters State has won 152 of its last 153 games in TCCAA play, as the Lady Senators now stand at 14-4 overall and 6-0 in TCCAA action. The loss dropped the Lady Bucks to 13-5 on the campaign and 5-1 in league play.
After leading by a single point after one period, 14-13, the second quarter was the beginning of the end for Motlow State, as Walters State allowed the Lady Bucks to make just a 3-pointer and a free throw in the frame while building a 33-17 lead at the half.
WSCC added to the lead in each of the final two periods, scoring 24 points in the third and taking a 57-35 lead into the fourth before outscoring Motlow 21-12 in the final 10 minutes to grab the 31-point victory.
The Lady Senators had four players reach double figures and six players notch at least 6 points in the win, led by Jamya Rogers with 19 points and 12 rebounds, while Zacharyia Esmon added 18 points and 11 boards in the contest. Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu narrowly missed a double-double herself, scoring 12 points and hauling in 9 rebounds, while Brianna Dixon added 12 points and 7 assists in the victory. Diamond Forrest and Jalayah Manning both had 6 points in the game for Walters State.
The Lady Senators shot 45.5 percent (30 of 66) from the field in the win, making 8 of 20 from long range and 10 of 11 at the free throw line. In the two games this weekend, WSCC connected on 28 of 29 free throws. The Lady Senators also held a 43-24 edge on the glass while forcing 21 turnovers.
Motlow State ended up shooting 32 percent (16 of 50) from the floor, including 5 of 21 from beyond the 3-point arc while making 10 of 12 at the charity stripe. Janna Lewis tossed in a game-high 22 points and matched Rogers for game-high honors in rebounds with a dozen, while Starasia Bell-Freeman added 11 points in the defeat.
After five straight games on the road in the span of eight days, the Lady Senators will be back in action at home Wednesday evening against TCCAA rival Cleveland State, with the start time set for 5:30 p.m.