WEST CHESTER, Pa.- Kimi Sayson (Oceanport, N.J./Shore Regional) and
Bella Mazur (Linwood, N.J./Mainland Regional) tied for the team lead in scoring 11 points each to help lead the West Chester University women's basketball team (1-0) to a dominant 72-33 victory over Salem (0-1) on Friday evening in Hollinger Field House.
Erin Daley (Lafayette Hill, Pa./Plymouth Whitemarsh) led West Chester in rebounding with 10 rebounds, along with five points and three assists.
West Chester started the game on a 12-0 run, which spanned the first nine minutes before the Tigers got on the scoreboard, cutting the deficit to 12-2 late in the first quarter before stretching the lead to 14-2 heading into the second.
Led by five points from Sayson and
Bella Mazur, West Chester shot 35.7 % (5-of-14) from the field with two makes from three-point range.
West Chester shot 42.9 % (6-of-14) from the field in the second quarter, including three makes from three-point range, which helped the Golden Rams stretch their lead to 18 just before the halftime break (34-16).
Taja Brown led Salem in scoring in the first half with six points on 3-of-8 shooting from the field, while Sayson led all scorers with eight points on 3-of-4 shooting from the field, including a 2-for-3 effort from three-point range.
West Chester shot 39.3 % (11-of-28) from the field in the first half, including a 41.7 % (5-of-12) effort from three-point range, while also connecting on 7-of-9 (77.8 %) at the free throw line.
Salem got off to a hot start in the third, opening the half on a 6-3 run, which saw the Tigers cut the lead to 37-22, prompting a West Chester timeout with 6:24 to play in the quarter. West Chester closed out the quarter well, stretching its lead to 27 (51-24) heading into the fourth quarter as the Golden Rams outscored their guests 14-2 in the final six minutes of the quarter.
In the fourth, West Chester continued to impose its will, stretching the lead to 62-27 en route to a 72-33 victory after leading by as many as 41 late in the fourth quarter.
West Chester led for nearly 38 (37:53) minutes in the victory thanks in part to a game-best 17-0 run, which began late in the third quarter and carried into the beginning of the fourth.
West Chester shot 41.9 % (26-of-62) from the field in the victory, including 28.6 % (6-of-21) from three-point range, while also going 14-for-19 (73.7 %) at the free throw line.
Taja Brown led Salem and all scorers with 12 points on 6-of-16 shooting, along with four rebounds in the loss.
Salem shot just 24.1 % (13-of-54) from the field and 13.0 % (3-for-23) from three-point range, while also going 4-for-6 (66.7 %) at the line.
West Chester ended the game with a 48-30 lead in rebounding, including a 12-6 lead on the offensive glass. West Chester finished the game with an 11-5 lead in second-chance points, along with a 38-10 lead in points in the paint. West Chester also finished +5 (21-16) in turnovers as West Chester finished the game with a 19-7 lead in points off turnovers and a 17-6 lead in points off the break.
Led eight points from
Marianna Papazoglou (North Wildwood, N.J./Wildwood Catholic), West Chester's bench also outscored Salem's bench 30-5.
Up Next
West Chester will be back in action tomorrow afternoon against Glenville State, beginning at 3 p.m.
