Salem College Basketball improved their record to 2-2 after taking down Mid-Atlantic Christian 87-22 at home.
MAC opened up the scoring, taking their only lead of the matchup at 2-0. Amy Pedroza hit two free throws to tie it up, jump starting what would be a dominant offensive performance from the Spirits. Salem's next six points came in the paint, with two layups from Nicole Hester and one from Tyla Whitehead. For the remainder of the quarter, the Spirits held the Mustang to only one more bucket, with their remaining few points coming from free throws. A huge fast-break and-one from Triana Smallwood closed the quarter out on a high note.
Salem kept their offensive momentum rolling into quarter two, while also continuing to be scrappy on defense. The Spirits kept the Mustangs from scoring a live-ball basket for the first seven minutes, with that jumper being MAC's only points other than their four free throws for the remainder of the first half. Six different Spirits scored in this quarter, combining for 24 points and shooting at 43%.
The Spirits continued to build on their success in half one, holding the Mustangs to only six points for the third straight quarter. Pedroza got out to a hot start, scoring six of the first nine points for Salem. Cristina Battistini also got on the board this quarter, drawing two fouls and sinking all four free throws. Five points from Whitehead, plus a three from Catherine Jordan Cano helped the Spirits continue to grow their lead, ending the quarter up by 44.
Salem ended their night with their most dominant quarter, scoring 25 points and holding MAC to one bucket and two free throws. Anayah Noell immediately found some rhythm, scoring six points in the first two minutes, then scoring four more later in the quarter. Hester continued to score consistently, alongside another three and a few free throws from Jordan Cano. Despite increased intensity from the Mustangs, the Spirits continued to grow their lead and finished strong, ending the contest up by 65.
Four different Salem athletes scored in double digits today, with Nicole Hester scoring 22, Triana Smallwood scoring 15, and both Catherine Jordan Cano and Anayah Noell scoring 14. Hester also snagged 23 rebounds, securing a huge double-double. Smallwood racked up an impressive seven steals and three assists, both season and career highs. Pedroza played all 40 minutes of the contest, leading the team in assists with four.
The Spirits will next be in action on Saturday December 6th, where they host Warren Wilson at 4pm.
