ELSAH, IL – The Principia Women's Basketball team continued their three game homestand on Saturday when they hosted SLIAC newcomer Lyon College. The Panthers came in on a three game win streak, but knew Lyon would be a formidable foe as the Scots came in averaging 88 points per game with an identical 4-2 record.
Right from the jump, Principia continued their strong defensive mindset and a desire to get every rebound. This mindset was key to dealing with the high-octane offense of the Scots. The Panthers' defense fed their offense as it has throughout their recent win streak, and Principia went into halftime with a 41-32 advantage. The Panthers kept up their strong rebounding in the third to extend their lead to 20 at 65-45 towards the end of the quarter. On the day, Principia won the rebounding battle 64 to 38, which made a huge difference in the outcome.
Despite being down big, Lyon wouldn't quit and made a strong push in the fourth, hoping for a miraculous comeback. As foul trouble mounted for the Panthers, the Scots hit two free throws with just under a minute remaining to cut Principia's lead to just a one possession difference at 75-72. Lyon then began to foul and force the Panthers to hit their free throws to maintain their lead.
Ariana Williams was up to the challenge as she sunk four consecutive shots from the charity stripe to ice the game and give the Panthers a 79-72 victory.
The game was highlighted by the play of the Panthers' two post players who finished with double-doubles:
Trinniti Matthews with 15 points and 15 points, and
Alana Hinson with 11 points and 12 rebounds.
Elyssa White had the best game of her young collegiate career as she collected 10 boards of her own to go along with 4 points in limited minutes.
Ariana Williams led the scoring for Principia with 18 points, followed closely by
Taylor Brown with 14 points.
Paige Fowler and
Carolina Rojas chipped in 8 and 7 points apiece. Rojas played well as the team's point guard against a consistent man press as she distributed the ball effectively with limited turnovers.
Coach Ro said afterwards: "I was very impressed with the overall team defense tonight. Lyon is such a talented team, and to win the rebounding battle by 26 boards is huge testament to our team's willingness to outwork anyone they are facing."
Up Next: Principia finishes their early season homestand on Thursday vs Fontbonne at 5:30 pm as they try to sweep the Griffins, having just beaten them a week ago. Come support your Panthers in their last home contest of 2023!
