Box Score
Jackson, MS-The Belhaven women's basketball team jumped out of the gate early and never looked back Saturday night, defeating Blue Mountain College 71-35 in the season opener at Rugg Arena.

 

Belhaven set the tone early building a 28-7 lead with about six minutes to go in the first half. Over the final six minutes of the first period, Belhaven would allow only six more points to Blue Mountain. The Lady Toppers couldn't solve Belhaven's defense as they went 4 of 23 from the field for a 17 percent shooting percentage.

 

Belhaven took advantage of some turnovers and used their full court press effectively too create scoring opportunities on the offensive end. The Lady Blazers were solid from behind the arc nailing four triples in the first half. They also had 27 shot opportunities connecting on 11 field goals in the first half to build a 31-13 lead going into the break.

 

In the second half, the Lady Blazers continued to build on their lead and never gave Blue Mountain a chance to get back in the game. Belhaven built their advantage to 30 points with about 12 minutes remaining in the game and maintained a 30 point plus advantage for almost the entire second half. The Lady Blazers were even better in the second half offensively, shooting 56 percent from the field.

 

Individually, Jaelyn Stringer led Belhaven with 20 points and six rebounds followed by Jira Williams with 14 points and five rebounds. Kimberly Ward, Mallory Hammack, and Courtney Ward each dished out three assists while Stringer came up with four defensive takeaways.