Salem Basketball took home their first win in 2026 tonight in a great home showing against Mary Baldwin. The Spirits prevailed with a 70-59 final score.
The first five minutes of quarter one were tight, both teams trading points and resulting in five lead changes. Cristina Battistini and Nicole Hester connected early, scoring just a few seconds after the tip. Then, Lauren Ringwood did what she does best, taking a strong drive in the lane and knocking down both free throws after drawing a foul. The Squirrels found their offense soon after, scoring a three and a layup to pull the lead in their direction. Battistini, however, had an answer twice in a row, giving Salem the momentum they needed to widen their lead. The Spirits then went on a six point run thanks to Hester, Catherine Jordan Cano, and Triana Smallwood. Salem's final points of the quarter came off of a steal from Smallwood, passed off to Jordan Cano for a clutch three in the final minute. The Spirits headed into the second quarter up by three.
MBU came into the next frame wanting to pull momentum back in their direction, and stayed within a two-score game the entire quarter. Despite the heightened intensity from the Squirrels, the Spirits stayed strong and never gave up their lead. Each time MBU tied it up, Salem had an answer. The first came from Jordan Cano, the next from Ringwood, and finally from Hester. All three baskets to regain the lead came in the paint. This quarter also brought four steals, eight defensive rebounds, and three offensive rebounds. The Spirits went into halftime with confidence, leading 31-26.
Salem came into quarter three wanting to build on their early success, which continued to grow as the frame went on. The first three minutes were slow on both sides, but the Spirits grabbed momentum back and didn't let go. After MBU brought it within two at the seven-minute mark, Salem executed the game plan to grow to a double-digit lead. They continued to do well in the paint, scoring 10 of their 20 points this quarter in the lane. The Spirits also were taking care of business at the charity stripe, going 7-10. One of their best sequences of the quarter was back-to-back drives with offensive rebounds, leading to four second-chance points from Ringwood and Keniya Waring. Salem ended the quarter tying their largest lead of the contest, leading 51-40.
The Squirrels opened up the final frame with a three, which was quickly answered by a six point run from the Spirits. This stretch provided their largest lead of the matchup with a 14-point deficit. The scoring was spread out across the team this quarter, with five different Salem athletes putting points on the board. Battistini opened up the quarter in the paint, followed soon after by four points from Jordan Cano. Next up was Ringwood, knocking down four free throws. Amy Pedroza then took it coast-to-coast, right before a free throw from Battistini, and a layup from Hester. An exclamation point on the contest were the four made free throws from Ringwood and Jordan Cano to give the Spirits an 11-point deficit to win 70-59.
Tonight's stat leaders were Lauren Ringwood and Catherine Jordan Cano with 18 points, Amy Pedroza with four steals; Ringwood with three assists; and Nicole Hester and Cristina Battistini with 11 rebounds. With those 11 rebounds and 12 points, Hester put up their second double-double in a row.
The Spirits have a busy week ahead, hosting both Brevard and Greensboro on Thursday and Saturday respectively.
