CHARLOTTE, NC --The Saint Augustine's women's basketball team got a 43-point performance from the bench on the way to a 76-58 victory over the JWU Charlotte Wildcats on the road Friday.
The Falcons (6-1) had three players score in double figures, led by Lauren Banks, who had 18 points, four assists and two steals. Janiya Reed added 13 points from the bench and Ashlyn Mesidor helped out with 10 points, eight rebounds, two steals and two blocks off the bench.
Led by Taniyah Greene's five offensive rebounds, Saint Augustine's did a great job crashing the offensive glass, pulling down 13 boards that resulted in 18 second chance points.
Saint Augustine's forced 18 JWU Charlotte turnovers. The Falcons turned those takeaways into 21 points on the offensive end of the floor. Joscelyne Meyers led the way individually with three steals.
How It Happened
After falling behind 18-15, Saint Augustine's went on a 5-0 run with 2:43 left in the first quarter, culminating in a bucket from Banks, to take a 20-18 lead. The Falcons then lost some of that lead, but still entered the quarter break with a 23-22 advantage. Saint Augustine's capitalized on four JWU Charlotte turnovers in the period, turning them into nine points on the other end of the floor.
Saint Augustine's built that first quarter lead to 32-28 before going on a 7-0 run starting at the 4:01 mark in the second period, highlighted by a bucket from Meyers, to increase its lead to 39-28. The Falcons kept that lead for the remainder of the period and enjoyed a 42-31 advantage heading into halftime. Saint Augustine's forced seven JWU Charlotte turnovers in the period and turned them into five points.
Saint Augustine's continued to preserve its halftime lead before going on a 7-0 run to expand its lead further to 56-41 with 1:30 to go in the third. Before the conclusion of the third period, the Wildcats had cut into that lead somewhat, but the Falcons still entered the fourth quarter with a 59-46 edge. Saint Augustine's bench made the most of its minutes in the period, as non-starters totaled eight of the team's 17 third-quarter points.
The Falcons coasted to the win from there, increasing their margin of victory by outscoring the Wildcats 17-12 in the fourth quarter. Saint Augustine's took advantage of its opportunities in the post, scoring 14 of its 17 points in the paint.
Game Notes
» The Falcons held the Wildcats to only 32.8 percent shooting from the field.
» Saint Augustine's never trailed in the second half on its way to victory.
» The Saint Augustine's bench made an impact by adding 43 points to its scoring output.
» Janiya Reed and Ashlyn Mesidor came off the bench to score 13 and 10 points, respectively.
» Saint Augustine's had a 42-29 edge on the boards in the win.
» The Saint Augustine's defense forced 18 turnovers.
» Saint Augustine's cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 13 offensive boards in the game.
» Lauren Banks led the Falcons with a game-high 18 points.
» Saint Augustine's got eight rebounds from both Ashlyn Mesidor and Ashanti Broughton.
Up Next
The Falcons will continue their 5 game road trip while visiting Bluefield State on Monday to open up CIAA play. Tip off is scheudled for 5:30pm.
Additional Notes
The 6-1 record has the Falcons sitting in 1st place in the CIAA Southern Division - and their best start since the 2005 season when the Falcons were 9-1 to start the year and ultimately reached the CIAA semifinals.
